Bowlers singing in the rain
These three-day cricket tests aren’t short of action.
After two days of rain and interminable waiting, 12 wickets tumbled in 72.4 overs as the second test sprang into life in Wellington yesterday.
It wasn’t one-way traffic either as New Zealand, having won what looked a vital coin toss, lost both openers in the evening gloom to reach 38-2 when stumps were pulled early, in reply to Bangladesh’s 211.
Captain Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, who counterattacked his way to 19 not out off 13 balls with some textbook cover drives, resume on day four at 10.30am with plenty of work to regain control at 1-0 up in the three-test series.
With 196 overs remaining in the test and warmer, clearer weather forecast, it’s game on after the Black Caps’ dominant innings-and-52-run victory in Hamilton.
These juicy greentops can be great levellers as we saw in 2011 when the Black Caps upset Australia in Hobart.
One of the grassiest test strips seen at the Basin offered more to Bangladesh’s lively new ball duo late in the day than it did for New Zealand; the docile Seddon Park surface a distant memory.
Abu Jayed nicked off Tom Latham – who arrived with a test average of 203.67 this home season – for four, then Jeet Raval spooned the same man to cover as the seam and bounce caused plenty of hopping about.
Bangladesh’s batsmen had to duck and dive, too, clattered on helmets and gloved fingers, as Neil Wagner relished the springy bounce to snare 4-28 in one hostile 13-over spell.
A distinctly grey, autumnal Sunday morning was only brightened by the emerald glow of the test pitch when the hessian covers were rolled back.
It was a welcome sight. Williamson could barely contain his glee, too, when Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah called incorrectly.
Given the conditions New Zealand did the right thing and summoned Matt Henry, a genuine seam and bounce bowler, for his first test since December 2017. The Black Caps were poor early and Bangladesh got another flyer to reach a total probably 50 more than they should have got. It was barely two years ago they were sent in at the Basin and racked up 595-8 declared (and still lost, by seven wickets).
Tamim Iqbal (74 off 114 balls) savaged anything overpitched or wide in a repeat of Hamilton. Boult struggled with his line and length and scuffed angrily at the turf in the landing area. The ball wasn’t swinging for him and Southee, and seam movement was minimal, but the bowlers hardly gave it a chance.
It took Colin de Grandhomme’s arrival when he nicked off Shadman Islam to first slip Taylor, to turn the momentum.
Henry struggled to the lefthanders but started to find a consistent line then Wagner changed the game once again as he relished the Basin bounce that wasn’t there against Sri Lanka in December. Remember that wicketless fourth day?
Unsettled by Wagner, the core of Bangladesh’s batting gave it away after a solid platform.
The left-armer had his tail up and after two wickets were overturned by the decision review system he immediately snared both Mominul Haque and Mohammad Mithun.
Tamim was in control but a lazy waft at a short one skied a simple catch. Same with the skipper, as Mahmudullah popped a sitter to square leg and Wagner roared and punched the air again. He bowled 10 overs on the trot after lunch and anything between waist and head height was a handful.
Without injured pair Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s resistance was minimal as Boult returned to mop up the tail.