Taylor’s double ton raises NZ victory hopes
A fine double century from Ross Taylor and three quick Bangladesh wickets yesterday put New Zealand in a prime position to pull off an exceptional victory in the rain-shortened second Test in Wellington.
At stumps on day four at Basin Reserve, where the first two days were washed out, Bangladesh were hurting at 80 for three, still 141 from making New Zealand bat again.
Taylor, dropped twice on 20, proceeded to punish the Bangladesh attack with a rollicking 200 from 212 balls before New Zealand declared at 432 for six. Bangladesh made a disastrous start to their second innings when Tamim, their leading run-scorer, was out for four.
Mominul Haque followed for 10 and Shadman Islam for 29 leaving Mohammad Mithun on 25 with Soumya Sarkar not out 12.
New Zealand piled on 394 runs in 73 overs before sending Bangladesh back in for 23 overs before stumps.
Taylor clouted Taijul Islam for six over the long-on boundary to bring up his century which took him past his mentor, the late Martin Crowe, to become New Zealand’s second most prolific century-maker with 18, two behind Kane Williamson.
He put on 172 with Williamson for the third wicket and then 216 with Henry Nicholls for the fourth. But after reaching 200 for the third time in his career, and raising his bat in salute, he was dismissed from the next ball he faced, caught behind off Mustafizur.
Williamson, who batted with a painful shoulder injury, made it through to 74 before he was dismissed and taken for a scan which proved inconclusive. He will have a second scan today. Nicholls swept Taijul Islam to the boundary to bring up his fifth century in the second over after tea, but only faced another seven deliveries before Taijul bowled him for 107.
Mahmudullah had varied his attack as best he could but for most of the day Taylor, Nicholls and Williamson had an answer for every move.
Apart from the two dropped catches off Abu Jayed in the third over, the raw Bangladesh seamers, with only 17 Tests between, them were unable to make full use of the green strip.