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Cairns puts NZ in charge
Wisden CricInfo staff - December 25, 2001

Close New Zealand (72 for 0; Richardson 38*, Horne 30*) are 60 runs behind Bangladesh (132; Aminul Islam 42, Cairns 3-24)
scorecard

New Zealand continued on their merry way in the two-Test series against Bangladesh, Test cricket's minnows. They dominated a slow day's play in the now-traditional Boxing Day Test at Wellington to finish with 72 for 0 after 24 overs, only 60 behind Bangladesh's paltry total of 132.

Showers are forecast for the next few days. The weather already looks like being the only thing that can prevent another big Bangladesh defeat.

Even with the slow run rate – barely two runs an over – the Test will struggle to last much longer than three days given fine weather. It's been a tough tour so far for Bangladesh, who were routed inside three days in the first Test at Hamilton.

Bangladesh's bowlers all worked hard, which was a welcome improvement after their disappointing efforts in the first Test. But they couldn't separate Matthew Horne, on his return to Test cricket after a year on the sidelines, and left-hander Mark Richardson. However, Horne did have a let-off whe he'd made 7, when a relatively simple catch at second slip went to ground off left-arm seamer Manjurul Islam.

Earlier Bangladesh had limped to a miserable first-innings total of 132. There was some determined batting by Aminul Islam, who made 42 before being brilliantly caught by Lou Vincent in the gully, but otherwise Al-Sahariar Rokon (18) was the biggest contributor. Four others reached double figures but progressed little further, including captain-keeper Khaled Mashud who was left stranded on 10 not out.

Chris Cairns was the again the best of the bowlers, with 3 for 24. He now has 192 Test wickets - level with the great West Indian Wes Hall, but still a long way behind Sir Richard Hadlee (431) on New Zealand's list. Cairns might just be fancying his chances of making it to 200 when Bangladesh bat again.

4.30pm Bangladesh 132 (Aminul Islam 42, Cairns 3-24)

New Zealand quickly wrapped up the Bangladesh innings for 132 after tea on the first day of the second Test at Wellington.

First Daniel Vettori bowled Manjural Islam for a duck (109 for 9). The innings ended 13 runs later when Mashrafe bin Mortaza was run out for 8, leaving captain-keeper Khaled Mashud stranded on 8.

New Zealand have 24 overs remaining today to make inroads into that modest total. Already the weather looks like holding Bangladesh's best chance of avoiding yet another crushing defeat in the now-traditional Boxing Day Test at the Basin Reserve.

Tea Bangladesh 118 for 8 (Manjural Islam 0)

Bangladesh continued to struggle in the second Test at Wellington, losing five wickets for only 58 runs in the afternoon session at the Basin Reserve.

Again it was Chris Cairns who made the breakthrough, beating Mohammad Ashraful several times outside off stump before he edged one to Stephen Fleming at third slip. He held the catch low to his left, his 95th in Tests. Ashraful was out for 11 in 49 balls (81 for 4).

Aminul Islam was Bangladesh's last big hope. He and Sanwar Hossain put on 11 runs in the next eight overs, and both were lucky to survive as long as they did. Hossain was dropped by Daniel Vettori in the gully from Shane Bond's bowling when he had only 5. Bond's luck didn't improve when a huge appeal for leg-before was turned down by Australian umpire Daryl Harper.

But eventually Bond's luck did change. Aminul had reached 42 when he cut fiercely, only to see Lou Vincent take a miraculous diving catch in the gully (92 for 5).

Khaled Mahmud, Bangladesh's captain, joined Hossain. They put on 16 before a horrible mix-up and more brilliant fielding from Vincent at cover point left them both staring at each other at the batsmen's end. Vincent lobbed the ball back to Vettori, the bowler, who flicked off the bails triumphantly to dismiss Hossain for 10 (108 for 6).

Three overs later Chris Drum struck. First he had Khaled Mahmud caught behind for 10 (114 for 7), then had Hasibul Hossain caught by Vincent for 4 as Bangladesh limped to 118 for 8.

New Zealand went to tea clearly in command. Many of the Bangladeshi batsmen managed a start but found scoring difficult. The run rate was painfully slow - just over two an over - and New Zealand will be expecting to wrap up the innings quickly after the interval.

Lunch Bangladesh 60 for 3 (Aminul Islam 26, Mohammad Ashraful 4)

Sunshine bathed the Basin Reserve art Wellington on the first morning of the second Test - but it didn't bring a ray of hope for Bangladesh, who were put in by Stephen Fleming. Three wickets went down by lunch, and even that represented something of a recovery.

Chris Cairns picked up where he left off in the first Test, ripping through Bangladesh's fragile top order. Any hopes of bettering their poor batting display at Hamilton were quickly jolted when Cairns took two wickets in his second over.

First to go was opener Javed Omar for a duck. He failed to keep down a rising ball and was caught by Lou Vincent, above his head, in the gully. Then Habibul Bashar edged to Mathew Sinclair at second slip, and it looked like being another red-letter day for Cairns.

But Al-Shahriar Rokon and Aminul Islam rallied, putting on 43 for the third wicket before Daniel Vettori persuaded Al-Shahriar to drive uppishly to Shane Bond at mid-off for 17.

New Zealand made two changes from the first Test. Matt Horne, whose last Test appearance came exactly one year ago, replaced the injured Nathan Astle and Chris Drum came in for his second Test, in place of fellow seamer Chris Martin.

Despite their poor performance at Hamilton, Bangladesh made only one change test on his hamstring strain.

Toss New Zealand won the toss and put Bangladesh in

New Zealand won the toss and chose to field in the second Test at Wellington, hardly surprising considering the tourists' dire performance with the bat at Hamilton last week.

With a strong wind blowing across the Basin Reserve ground, Stephen Fleming was looking to his seamers to make light work of Bangladesh's feeble top order.

New Zealand made two changes from the first Test. Matt Horne, whose last Test appearance came exactly one year ago, replaced the injured Nathan Astle and Chris Drum came in for his second Test, in place of fellow seamer Chris Martin.

Despite their poor performance at Hamilton, Bangladesh made only one change - Hasibul Hossain came in for Mohammad Sharif. Their only injury doubt, Manjural Islam, passed a late fitness test on his hamstring strain.

New Zealand 1 Mark Richardson, 2 Matthew Horne, 3 Lou Vincent, 4 Mathew Sinclair, 5 Stephen Fleming (capt), 6 Craig McMillan, 7 Chris Cairns, 8 Adam Parore (wk), 9 Daniel Vettori, 10 Shane Bond, 11 Chris Drum.

Bangladesh 1 Javed Omar, 2 Al-Sahariar Rokon, 3 Habibul Bashar, 4 Aminul Islam, 5 Mohammad Ashraful, 6 Sanwar Hossain, 7 Khaled Mashud (capt and wk), 8 Khaled Mahmud, 9 Hasibul Hossain, 10 Mashrafee bin Murtoza, 11 Manjural Islam.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd