Bangladesh registered their first home Test victory against New Zealand, beating them by a massive margin of 150 runs in the first Test of the two-match series in Sylhet today (December 2).
Bangladesh defended 331 in the fourth innings to secure the victory, cleaning up much of the New Zealand batting line-up and reducing New Zealand to 113-7 by the end of the fourth day.
They started the final day needing three more wickets for a historic win. They needed some effort as New Zealand’s youth showed some resistance, but it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat.
Daryl Mitchell became the first batsman to be dismissed for 58 off 120 balls today (December 2), completing his half-century by not being out but out for 44 overnight. After dismissing Naeem Hasan at the top, Mitchell was caught on target and New Zealand’s hopes were all but dashed.
New Zealand captain Tim Southee swung his bat around for a while, hitting two fours and a six on his way to 34 off 24 balls before falling to Taijul Islam. The left-arm spinner unsurprisingly picked the last wicket to fall in New Zealand, finishing with six wins and 75 losses. Taijul scored his 4-109 in the first innings and finished the match with his 10th win, his second in his Test career.
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This is Bangladesh’s second Test win against New Zealand and first at home. The only other test they beat them was at Mt Maunganui in January 2022. With this victory, Bangladesh now have a Test win at home against seven countries. Only four teams – India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa – are yet to win a home Test.
In the early stages of the match, Mahmudul Hasan Joy led Bangladesh’s attack with his bat in the first innings. He scored 86 out of 166 runs, with 10 of Bangladesh’s 11 batsmen reaching double figures, and 310 runs. Glenn Phillips played his second Test and selected 4-53.
In response, Kane Williamson scored his 29th Test win, and the visiting team finished with just a seven-point lead, just over Bangladesh’s total. Thereafter, Bangladesh’s mid-order team, led by captain Nazir Mulhossain and his shunt players, persisted until his second innings, helping the team record his fifth Test ton and helping the team set a lofty target of 332 for New Zealand. Contributed.
Things always proved difficult on the spinning pitch at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, and New Zealand were bowled out for 181 in 71.1 overs, losing by 150 runs, their largest margin in the second match. Number of wins for Bangladesh in friendly matches against teams other than Zimbabwe and Afghanistan.
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