Bangladesh Avoid Follow On As Match Drawn

Bangladesh Avoid Follow On As Match Drawn

New Zealand players wait for the third umpire's decision.

©REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (BANGLADESH) Picture Supplied by Action Images

New Zealand 262-6 dec. (Ryder 91, McCullum 66) & 79-1 drew with
Bangladesh 169-9 dec. (Shakib Al Hasan 49, Vettori 5-66)
Scorecard
Second Test, Mirpur. New Zealand win the series 1-0

Bangladesh overcame a fine bowling display from opposing skipper Daniel Vettori to narrowly avoid being forced to follow on against New Zealand on the fifth and final day of the rain-affected second Test before the match was drawn, leaving New Zealand 1-0 series winners.

New Zealand closed on 79 for one in their second innings after Jamie How was bowled by Mashrafe Mortaza for eight.

Earlier, spinner Vettori finished with figures of 5-66, his 17th five-wicket haul in Tests, and Daniel O'Brien chipped in with three victims for 31 as Bangladesh limped to 169-9 after lunch before the home side declared 93 runs behind New Zealand.

All-rounder Skahib Al Hasan (49) and Mashrafe Mortaza contributed (48) provided a bulk of the runs for the home side in a match that appears destined for a draw after more than three days were lost to the weather. New Zealand, who won the first of the two-match series by three wickets last week, declared their innings closed after reaching 262-6 on Tuesday.

Resuming after lunch on 104-6, the hosts adopted an aggressive approach to add 65 runs for the loss of three more wickets in 10.1 overs. Fighting a solid rearguard action, all-rounder Shakib and Mortaza put together a vital 78-run seventh-wicket partnership after Vettori had removed opener Tamim Iqbal for 24.

Spinner Patel secured the day's first breakthrough, trapping Mehrab Hossain (7) lbw while pace bowler O'Brien had Mushfiqur Rahim (7) caught behind by McCullum.

New Zealand won the opening match in Chittagong by three wickets.

© Reuters 2008