Tough going for NZ bowlers
New Zealand’s bowlers have a fight on their hands in the first cricket test after they were shaded by Bangladesh’s batsmen amid the howling wind and rain on day one in Wellington.
After captain Kane Williamson won the toss on a Basin Reserve pitch he described as soft and likely to assist seam movement, the tourists had their noses in front when rain then bad light cut the day short. When stumps were drawn in the gloom just after 6.30pm, Bangladesh were 154-3 in the 41st over and deservedly happy with their work in an evenlypoised test.
The tiny 161cm figure of Mominul Haque stood tallest, unbeaten on 64 to continue his dream run against New Zealand which began in the 2013 series.
Wellington’s weather lived up to its reputation as gale force northerlies forecast for up to 120kmh rattled the Vance Stand and forced camera operators down from their scaffolding at the southern end due to safety concerns.
Combined with the emerald green pitch it should have sent the Bangladesh batsmen scurrying for the hills but they warmed to their task and showed the pitch held few terrors. The hosts face a welcome scrap to make it 20 wins from as many home matches against Bangladesh in all formats.
New Zealand’s bowlers clearly struggled for rhythm in the gale. The new ball hardly swung at all for Tim Southee and Trent Boult up front, and aside from one or two from Southee it barely seamed off a consistent, if a little sluggish, pitch.
Boult was expensive early, and Neil Wagner created some halfchances before removing key batsman Mahmudullah for 26 after he and Mominul added 85. There was a late fielding blemish, too, when Mitchell Santner put down a searing chance at mid-wicket off Shakib Al Hasan on four, off Wagner.
Opener Tamim Iqbal punished anything wide or overpitched in a typical counter-attacking knock, back in familiar climes after he averaged 39 in six Twenty20 games for Wellington in 2013. The lefthander cracked 56 off 50 balls while No 3 Mominul, who scored 181, 22 not out, 47 and 126 against New Zealand at home in 2013 stood firm.
Arriving with an average of 52 from 19 tests, the diminutive leftie Mominul showed his class and his three boundaries in one Boult over were high quality, all around the park. His 11th test half-century was dotted with nine fours and a top-edged six.
The quirks of the decision review system were a big talking point. It flummoxed then delighted New Zealand as they removed the dangerous Tamim lbw to Boult.
Tamim earlier survived a confident lbw appeal by Colin de Grandhomme on 31, which looked an extremely good shout but was turned down by umpire Marais Erasmus. The Black Caps challenged the decision but ball tracker, oddly, showed it clipping the top of the bails when side-on replays suggested it wasn’t too high. Umpire’s call stood.
Then, after rain allowed just 50 minutes of play in the first session, Tamim pushed forward to one that looked high from Boult, who’d bowled an expensive three-over spell of 0-26. Erasmus declined the appeal again, Williamson challenged and this time ball tracker agreed it was hitting.
The Black Caps desperately needed Tamim’s wicket as he cruised to his half-century off 48 balls, punishing anything wide or overpitched as the New Zealand bowlers struggled to stay upright.