Summary Bangladesh reached 103-2 against New Zealand on the second day of the first test on Thursday.
CHITTAGONG (AP) - Mominul Haque smashed a half century as Bangladesh recovered from the quick loss of two wickets to reach 103-2 against New Zealand on the second day of the first test on Thursday.
The Kiwis also rallied from an early stumble. Resuming on 280-5, they were 282-7 after the first two overs. But wicketkeeper BJ Watling scored his second test century and added 127 runs with fast bowler Trent Boult for the last wicket.
By stumps, Mominul Haque was a career-best 77 not out from 71 balls and Bangladesh trailed by 366 runs at at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
Bangladesh lost its openers by the fourth over, with Tamim Iqbal going for a duck and Anamul Haque for 3. Mominul Haque hit 13 boundaries, his third half century in just his fourth test. With him at the close was Marshall Ayub on 21.
New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum used six bowlers to try to slow down Mominul Haque but the batsman continued to batter them amid cheers from a few thousand Bangladeshi supporters.
It was Bangladesh which felt frustration in the first half of the day, as Watling and Boult denied the host side from restricting the Kiwis to less than 350.
Watling was caught off Rubel Hossain on 4 but survived because of a no-ball. He went on to score 103 off 182 deliveries, including six boundaries and two sixes.
Boult finished with a career-best 52 not out, taking up 137 balls, and including four fours and three sixes.
The pair dominated Bangladesh for more than a session after New Zealand lost its ninth wicket in the morning at 342. The innings finally ended when Watling fell 10 minutes into an extended second session, stumped by Mushfiqur Rahim off part-time left-armer Mominul Haque.
"We played with a lot of patience," Watling said. "We managed to put a good partnership together, which was pretty much needed because I think 400 is pretty much par on that wicket.
"It was great fun batting with Trent out there; he played extremely well, he waited for his ball, played some nice shots through the on-side."
Watling did acknowledge he had some luck with the no-ball on 4.
"(I m) feeling rather lucky (but) it s great to get that opportunity to keep going and make it count and try to make a decent contribution," he said.
Abdur Razzak, who took a team-best 3-147, praised the Kiwis last-wicket partnership.
"Their last man (Boult) batted very well, he did not (even) try anything extraordinary, just tried to play straight. When you bat like this, it is always difficult to get you out," Razzak said.
"Sometimes you also need the help from a wicket to get a batsman like this out. But it was not there. The other batsman (Watling) was well set, so it was difficult to get him out.
"It was not the kind of wicket we had expected. But we should not also complain when our batsmen are also getting runs."
Earlier, nightwatchman Bruce Martin (1) departed in the first over of the day and debutant Corey Anderson (1) in the second over.
Doug Bracewell paired with Watling to add 57 runs for the eighth wicket, and Ish Sodhi was lbw for 1, the ninth wicket to fall.
