HAMILTON, New Zealand: New Zealand's first innings record 715 for six, including a double century from Kane Williamson, put them in total control of the first Test against Bangladesh after three days on Saturday.
New Zealand's huge total gave them their biggest ever first innings lead of 481 and by stumps, with two days remaining, Bangladesh were 174 for four, still 307 behind.
On an explosive day of batting in which 438 runs were scored, Tamim Iqbal gave Bangladesh a flying start to their reply as they raced to 88 without loss.
But when Neil Wagner's relentless barrage of bouncers captured the wicket of Shadman Iqbal for 37, it quickly became 126 for four.
Mominul Haque and Mohammad Mithun barely registered and Tamim was caught behind for 76.
The opener ducked under a Tim Southee bouncer but left his bat held high with the ball ricocheting off the periscope into the gloves of BJ Watling.
Soumya Sarkar on 39 with Mahmudullah on 15 held the innings together for 13 overs through to stumps.
New Zealand skipper Williamson resumed the day on 93 and calmly worked his way to his 20th century, the most by a New Zealander, and in his 71st Test he passed 6,000 runs faster and with a better average than any of his countrymen.
At the other end, Neil Wagner and Colin de Grandhomme pounded the bowling as New Zealand piled on 264 runs from 45 overs and went 25 runs passed their previous best 690 against Pakistan in 2014.
Mehidy Hasan, while he bagged two wickets, bore the brunt of the assault and finished with the most expensive Test figures ever for Bangladesh of two for 246 from 49 overs.
Pre-lunch, Williamson was content to take a backseat as nightwatchman Wagner blazed away for 47 runs -- 42 from boundaries -- in their 60-run stand.
It was Ebadat Hossain, on debut, who made the breakthrough with his maiden Test wicket to deny Wagner a maiden fifty when he shaved the edge of the bat and wicketkeeper Liton Das completed the dismissal.
Big-hitting Colin de Grandhomme took New Zealand past their previous record score of 690 with a huge six, one of five in his whirlwind innings of 76 not out.
The foundations for New Zealand's domination were laid by openers Tom Latham and Jeet Raval with their 254-run partnership after Bangladesh had been rolled in their first innings for 234.
When Williamson reached 100 it became only the 13th time in cricket history, and the second time by New Zealand, that the first three batsmen had reached three figures.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.