Vettori guides Kiwis to win first Test by an innings
DHAKA, Oct 22: Left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori claimed six wickets to demolish the Bangladesh second innings and help New Zealand claim the first Test on Friday by an innings and 99 runs.
New Zealand dismissed the hosts for 126 just after lunch on the fourth day to take a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series. New Zealand completed a first innings total of 402 on Thursday in reply to Bangladesh's 177. The hosts resumed on Friday on an overnight score of 41-2, but were outclassed in the first session to sit at 122-9 at lunch.
The second and final Test starts on Oct 26 in south-eastern Chittagong city. Vettori, 25, struck in the first over of the day, dismissing overnight batsman Rajin Saleh for a duck. Saleh was ruled out by umpire Mark Benson, but television replays suggested he might not have edged a sharply turning ball to wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum.
Vettori who claimed two wickets at Bangabandhu National Stadium on Thursday, went on to claim Manjurul Islam (1), Mohammad Ashraful (26) and Tareq Aziz (0). He returned with figures of 6-28, while fellow spinner Paul Wiseman took three wickets for 64.
Wiseman finished the match claiming Mohammad Rafique (24). However, Mashud said his team lost the match in the first innings. "We needed to score at least 300 runs in the first innings to make it competitive," he said.
Rookie Nafis Iqbal (49) was run out one short of his maiden Test half century by Paul Wiseman, reducing Bangladesh to 87-4. In the next over, Wiseman removed out-of-form batsman Alok Kapali, caught behind for a duck. Wiseman's next victim was captain Mashud (2), who edged a turning delivery to fielder Scott Styris.
Bangladesh began the second innings with a deficit of 225 runs, even after left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique took six wickets and became the first Bangladeshi bowler to claim 50 test wickets.
Man-of-the-Match McCullum (143) completed his maiden Test century on Thursday to put New Zealand in control on the third day of the first Test against Bangladesh.
This loss was Bangladesh 28th in the 31 Test matches it has played since Test inauguration in 2000. It drew three other matches. Meanwhile, Bangladesh have dropped opening batsman Hannan Sarkar and seamer Alamgir Kabir for the second and final Test against New Zealand starting on Tuesday.
Bangladesh, who lost the first Test by an innings and 99 runs on Friday, called up uncapped batsman Aftab Ahmed and spinner Enamul Haque Junior in their places. Former captain Khaled Mashud will continue to lead the side in Chittagong in the continued absence of the injured Habibul Bashar.
Aftab Ahmed, 19, made his one-day international debut in last month's ICC Champions Trophy in England, scoring 21 runs in two innings.
