Cricket: NZ stops brave Bangladeshi fightback

Black Caps opener Tim McIntosh. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand delivered a predictable victory but not before Bangladeshi captain Shakib Al Hasan settled a personal score as the one-off cricket test ended today.

The hosts won the contest by 121 runs after dismissing Bangladesh for 282 runs in the middle session on the fifth and final day at Seddon Park.

It may have marked the sixth test win in Daniel Vettori's 25-test reign as skipper but it was his Bangladeshi counterpart who grabbed a major share of the limelight on the back of an outstanding maiden test century.

The 22-year-old allrounder enlivened the last day with a sublime innings in his 16th test, posting three figures in the first over after lunch before getting out immediately to a wild slog.

It summed up the Bangladeshis to a tee: exhilarating one moment and exasperating the next.

But Al Hasan's neat 100 was just reward for some scintillating strokeplay after he resumed this morning on nought with the tourists' hopes in ruins at 88 for five after being set 404 for victory yesterday.

"It was still a comfortable victory but there were a lot of things you'd want to improve," Vettori said, referring to some of his side's seam bowling which did not meet the required standard for periods of the match.

A win was never a serious consideration for the tourists when they returned to the ground this morning but that did not stop Al Hasan unleashing some wonderful strokes as he used the cut, straight drive and sweep to make the New Zealand attack appear second-rate at times.

He put on 79 with wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim and then 68 with first innings centurymaker Mahmudullah, whose threatening innings ended at 42 courtesy of excellent work by Daryl Tuffey to haul in a fine catch at mid on.

Al Hasan took a particular liking to Vettori when the left-arm spinner introduced himself for the 12th over of the day.

He was carted for 18 runs in that over as Al Hasan launched a fierce attack which saw him race past 50, with 40 of the runs coming from 13 balls by the New Zealand captain.

"He is a class bowler but the ball was there to hit," he said cryptically when asked about his treatment of Vettori.

He then settled again once Rahim nicked out with Mahmudullah aggressive at the other end.

But Al Hasan never let the tempo drop for long, hitting Tuffey down the ground then clubbing offspinner Jeetan Patel over long off for six and sweeping him square for four to race into the 90s.

He was on 98 at lunch after facing 99 balls today, and duly raised his milestone by clipping Tim Southee for two to square leg in the first over of the middle session.

Two balls later he was out, a swing and a miss ending his stay which featured 15 fours and three sixes, but by then he had made up for his unfortunate dismissal for 87 in his team's first innings when given out to a dubious catch behind the wicket.

Al Hasan said his side did not bat well enough in the final session yesterday to give themselves any chance, but he took satisfaction in their overall performance after Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum took the match out of Bangladesh's reach with a record partnership of 339 during New Zealand's first innings of 553 for seven declared.

As for his own performance, Al Hasan said he felt within himself that something special was coming.

"It was a bit disappointing to get out for 87 in the last innings but I knew it (century) was coming .

"The way I was playing I was very confident about myself. It finally came and I was very happy."

His dismissal saw young seamer Southee clean up the tail to end with the best figures of three for 41, while Vettori copped heavy punishment from Al Hasan to finish with two for 80 off 24 overs.

Tuffey was tidy and demanding throughout the match but Southee, for the most part, and fast bowler Chris Martin looked short of a gallop after a heavy diet of limited overs play in the past two months.

Vettori admitted the seam bowling was a concern with a test series looming against Australia.

"Hopefully the guys can get some first-class cricket in before the test matches. That will help but it's about ownership of your game and consistency, making sure you're in the right areas."

Bangladesh leave for home tomorrow for a one-day and test series against England starting on February 28.

- NZPA