New Zealand tightened the screws on Bangladesh with a superb maiden century from Brendon McCullum in the opening Test at the Bangabandu National Stadium yesterday.
Wicket-keeper McCullum slammed 143 as New Zealand posted 402-9 at tea on the third day in reply to Bangladesh's modest first-innings total of 177. The tourists are now 225 runs ahead with one wicket in hand.
Paul Wiseman (28) and Ian Butler (15) were at the crease.
McCullum, 23, swung the match in New Zealand's favor with his first century in seven Test matches. He put on 71 for the seventh wicket with Daniel Vettori (23) and 57 for the next with James Franklin (23).
Vettori fell in the second session, caught bat-pad by debutant Nafis Iqbal to become left-arm spinner Manural Rana's third victim. Franklin was caught pulling Tapash Baisya to square-leg.
New Zealand were 38 runs short of Bangladesh's total with five wickets in hand when McCullum arrived at the crease on Wednesday.
McCullum, 48 overnight, completed his hundred in the last over of yesterday's morning session when he smartly flicked left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique for his 10th four.
He fell before the tea break, caught off a leading edge by Alok Kapali at short cover to become Rafique's fifth victim. He struck two sixes and 10 fours in his 243-ball knock.
Rafique, 34, became the first Bangladeshi bowler to claim 50 Test wickets. He bowled the bulk of his 59 overs on a slow turning pitch to claim 5-122 at tea.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
Pakistan's pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar took five wickets to restrict Sri Lanka after Thilan Samaraweera scored a hard fought hundred on the second day of the first Test yesterday.
Pakistan reached 85-1 at lunch with Yasir Hameed on a rapid unbeaten 51 and Asim Kamal not out on 11 in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings score of 243.
Pakistan got off to a brisk start to reach 28 quickly before Imran Farhat pulled Malinga into the hands of Jehan Mubarak after scoring 11.
But Farhat's fellow opener Hameed played fluently and reached his half century with his eighth boundary.
Resuming at 233-7, Sri Lanka's first innings folded inside 3.4 overs with the addition of ten runs.
RSS