Pacemen set up stunning New Zealand win
New Zealand sealed a remarkable nine-wicket win against Bangladesh in the closing moments of the fourth day’s play of the second Test, completing a 2-0 sweep of the series on Monday (January 23).
Chasing a target of just 109, New Zealand got home in 18.4 overs to bring a swift end to the Test, effectively winning inside three days with Sunday’s play being washed out entirely and the match beginning late on Monday at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
Bangladesh had been bowled out for just 173 in 52.5 overs in its second innings with just over an hour’s play left, but with New Zealand within striking distance of the target, the extra half hour was claimed and Colin de Grandhomme, sent in at No. 3, ensured nobody would have to turn up at the ground for the fifth day with 33 not out off 14 balls. De Grandhomme smacked four sixes, the last two off consecutive balls from Nazmul Hossain’s offspin when 10 were needed for victory. Tom Latham, the opener, was unbeaten on a 59-ball 41, with Jeet Raval (33 off 40) the only man out.
The win took New Zealand to fifth in the Test rankings, leapfrogging Pakistan which has now slid to No. 6. Bangladesh, meanwhile, ended a forgettable tour, having lost all three One-Day Internationals, all three Twenty20 Internationals and both Test matches as well as limited-overs tour game against a New Zealand XI.
New Zealand began the day on 260 for 7, still trailing Bangladesh’s first-innings 289, but Henry Nicholls hit a fine 98, having resumed on 56, to carry the team to 354 all out in 92.4 overs for a lead of 65.
Bangladesh then collapsed in spectacular fashion, losing four wickets in the second session. The visiting team had gone to lunch at 20 for 1, having lost Tamim Iqbal to Tim Southee, but by tea, it had slid to 100 for 5, with Southee having taken a second wicket to become the fifth New Zealander with 200 Test wickets. Neil Wagner caused the most damage post lunch, taking 3 for 19 in six overs in the session, including the wickets of Sabbir Rahman and Nurul Hasan - both out for nought - in the over before the break.
Southee, the man of the match for cumulative figures of 8 for 142 that included five in the first innings, Wagner (3 for 44) and Trent Boult (3 for 52) all took three wickets each in Bangladesh’s second innings. The visiting side could set New Zealand a target in excess of 100 only because of some late resistance by Taskin Ahmed (33) and Kamrul Islam (25 not out), who put together a 51-run stand for the ninth wicket after Bangladesh had slid to 115 for 8. However, once Boult cleaned up Taskin, Southee snared Rubel Hossain in the next over to bring Bangladesh’s innings to a close.
Earlier, the New Zealand innings ended with the bizarre run out of Wagner. Wagner (26) was given out after he had completed two runs with Boult. He grounded his bat as he passed the crease, but in the fleeting moment when Nurul Hasan, the wicketkeeper, whipped the bails off, Wagner was mid-stride with neither foot on the ground and had lifted his bat.
Nicholls, who had been struggling before the Bangladesh series, delivered a personal best of 98 as he shepherded the New Zealand tail. He put on 30 with Southee (17) for the eighth wicket, and 57 with Wagner before he was the ninth to fall.
Before the Bangladesh series, Nicholls had averaged less than 19 in six innings since his previous best 76 against South Africa in August.
When New Zealand started the day, Bangladesh did not help itself with some sloppy fielding, including two dropped catches to take its innings tally to six. Southee was let off on 15 by Mehedi Hasan at second slip. Mehedi was then moved to short extra-cover, where made no mistake when Southee, having added two more runs, chipped a ball from Shakib Al Hasan.
Wagner, struck three times on the helmet during the first Test, took another blow to the head early in the innings. He was also the beneficiary of a dropped catch on 7, and successfully reviewed an lbw dismissal off the next ball.
Nicholls took New Zealand past the 300-mark and bettered his previous Test best with back-to-back boundaries off Kamrul. But the nerves were showing as he approached the century mark. On 97, an inside-edge whistled past his stumps and one run later, he was bowled by Mehedi.