Glenn Phillips takes four to help Kiwis claw back

Sylhet (Bangladesh), November 28

Offspinner Glenn Phillips claimed 4/37 in only his second match as New Zealand reduced Bangladesh to 310/9 on Day 1 of the opening Test today. Phillips’ haul helped the visitors gain an edge after Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first on a pitch ideal for batting.

Bangladesh made a good start with opener Mahmudul Hasan playing serenely to put the side in the driving seat in the first session but his teammates’ rash shots undermined his effort. Mahmudul made a team-best 86 off 166 balls with 11 boundaries. He shared stands of 39 for the first wicket with Zakir Hasan and 53 for the second with Najmul Hossain Shanto as Bangladesh made steady progress.

Shanto, who led the home team in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, was dismissed just before lunch after playing an attacking 37 off 35 deliveries.

He was particularly harsh on left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel (2/76), hitting him for three sixes to entertain the sparse crowd.

Patel, one of only three bowlers ever to take 10 wickets in a single Test innings, gave the visitors an early breakthrough when he dismissed Zakir Hasan for 12 in the 13th over with a delivery that turned sharply to rattle the stumps.

Shanto targeted Patel and opened with a six over mid-on. And he used his feet effectively to dominate New Zealand’s other spinners — Ish Sodhi and Glenn Phillips. But he paid for his aggressive batting when he charged a full toss from Philips and skied a catch to Kane Williamson in the deep, making the score 92/2. — AP

Brief scores: Bangladesh 310/9 (Mahmudul 86, Shanto 37; Phillips 4/53, Jamieson 2/52, Ajaz 2/76) vs New Zealand