HAMILTON (New Zealand), Dec 20: Centuries from Mark Richardson and Craig McMillan led a New Zealand recovery after they lost four early wickets on day three of the first Test against Bangladesh here Thursday.
At stumps, the home side had reached 306 for five, with Richardson unbeaten on 124 and Chris Cairns not out 40.
With two days lost to rain and just 68 intermittent overs possible Thursday, it put the Kiwis in a dominant position after being sent into bat.
Richardson and McMillan added 190, 32 short of the New Zealand fifth wicket Test record set a year ago by Nathan Astle and McMillan against Zimbabwe in Wellington.
Their tons were much needed to haul New Zealand out of deep trouble at 51 for four as the jubilant Bangladeshis celebrated their best session in their seven-Test history.
Paceman Masrafe bin Mortaza and left-armer Manjurul Islam did the damage with two wickets each before McMillan and Richardson snatched the game back in the space of three hours.
They overcame difficult conditions with controlled aggression, particularly from McMillan who played shots to all parts of the ground.
Richardson continued the approach that has earned him an average of 47.88 from his 19 previous Test innings.
He excelled with his trademark shots — the cut, the straight drive and the flick off his legs — and occasionally a hook as he and McMillan steadied the ship to 93 for four at lunch.
Richardson ground out his eighth Test 50 off 89 balls despite being dropped twice in the 40s. McMillan’s 15th half-century followed soon after off 95 balls.
McMillan though was first to three figures after taking 18 off four balls from Mohammad Sharif, then helping himself to 25 off three overs from part-time leg-spinner Mohammad Ashraful.
A thunderstorm forced the players off for two hours with Richardson stranded on 96 but he immediately clocked up Test century No 2 on his return to the field.
McMillan was caught on the third man boundary later in the over for 106 as New Zealand chased quick runs. A quickfire 40 from Cairns helped Richardson add 65 before the rain returned for good.
The New Zealand top order earlier collapsed to a mixture of ill-discipline and seam.
Three of them — Lou Vincent, captain Stephen Fleming and Astle — were all coming off centuries in the third Test against Australia.
Mathew Sinclair waved the bat outside off stump and was caught behind off Manjurul Islam for seven. It leaves his place for the second Test in serious doubt after a below-par series in Australia and a century from Matthew Horne for Auckland last T