Bangladesh need three wickets on final day
Bangladesh end the fourth day of the Sylhet Test just three wickets away from registering their maiden Test victory over New Zealand at home, as they reduced the Kiwis to 113-7 at stumps at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Taijul Islam was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, claiming four wickets while Shoriful Islam, Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Nayeem Hasan took one wicket each as the Tigers are just three wickets away from completing the victory.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. For the visitors, Daryll Mitchel is playing a lone hand, as he is unbeaten on 44 at the end of the day's play while the other Kiwi batters couldn't withstand the sustained pressure of the homeside.
Mitchell and Ish Sodhi, unbeaten on 0, will begin the final day's proceedings with the Black Caps needing another 219 runs from a victory that looks highly unlikely.
Earlier, Miraz hit his fifth Test fifty as Bangladesh posted 338 in their second innings to set a 332-run target.
Bangladesh three wickets away from victory
Taijul Islam claimed his fourth wicket by trapping Kyle Jamieson in front as Bangladesh reduced New Zealand to 102 for seven chasing 332 in the third session of Day four of the Sylhet Test on Friday.
Jamieson departed for nine and Ish Sodhi has now joined Daryll Mitchel, who is batting on 40.
New Zealand lose sixth wicket, Bangladesh on top
Bangladesh off-spinner Nayeem Hasan got in on the act when he got his first wicket by trapping New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips lbw to have the Kiwis under the cosh with six wickets down for 82 runs after 35 overs in the last session of the fourth Day of the first Test in Sylhet on Friday.
This brought Kyle Jamieson to the crease, with Daryl Mitchell unbeaten on 28.
New Zealand still need 250 more runs to win.
Taijul's third wicket has New Zealand five down
Bangladesh spinner Taijul Islam dismissed New Zealand batter Tom Blundell which reduced the Kiwis to five down for 60 after 28 overs in the last session of the fourth Day of the first Test in Sylhet on Friday.
Taijul's third scalp of the day saw him turn the ball sharply away from off-stump on a good length and take the batter's outside edge.
New Zealand still need 272 runs more to win.
Glenn Phillips came to the middle, with Mitchell unbeaten on 19 at the other end.
Taijul takes his second to dismiss Conway
Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam dismissed New Zealand opener Devon Conway in the last session of the fourth Day of the first Test in Sylhet on Friday to have New Zealand four down for 46 runs.
Taiju, who sent back Kane Williamson earlier, got it to spin in from outside off-stump to the left-hander on a good length. Conway came forward to fend it away but the ball took a feather off the splice of the bat as it popped to Shahadat Hossain Dipu at short leg.
Tom Blundell came to the crease following the dismissal, with Mitchell unbeaten on 1 at the other end.
Miraz gets his first as Tigers take three Kiwi wickets
Bangladesh all-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz picked up his first wicket as he dismissed New Zealand batter Henry Nicholls to reduce the Kiwis to three down for 30 after 13 overs.
Nicholls looked to drag a delivery from outside off when he tried to sweep. This got him in trouble as he could only manage to top edge it to short fine leg.
Devon Conway, who was unbeaten on 17, was joined by Daryl Mitchell at the crease.
Taijul strikes to dismiss Williamson
Bangladesh left-am spinner Taijul Islam got the big wicket of New Zealand batter Kane Williamson to have the Kiwis two down for 19 after 10 overs in their pursuit of 332 on Day 4 of the first Test in Sylhet on Friday.
Williamson, who scored a century in New Zealand's first innings, got beaten while trying prod away a tossed-up delivery bowled around middle and off stump.
The dismissal brought Henry Nicholls to the crease, with Devon Conway unbeaten on eight.
Shoriful removes Latham to give Tigers first breakthrough
Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam drew first blood when he nicked off New Zealand opener Tom Latham for naught in the very first over of the fourth innings on Day 4 of the first Test in Sylhet on Friday.
Latham's dismissal brought Kane Williamson to the crease, with opener Devon Conway waiting to open his account at the other end.
Bangladesh all out for 338, NZ need 332 to win
New Zealand clawed back on Day 4 of the first Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet on Friday to bundle out the hosts for 338, restricting the lead at 331.
The visitors took seven wickets within the first two sessions of the day and will now need 332 runs to win.
Bangladesh, who started the day at 212 for three, added 126 runs to their overnight total, losing seven wickets in the process.
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored 105 and was complemented by Mushfiqur Rahim's 67-run knock.
All-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz scored a fifty to extend Bangladesh's lead to 331 as he remained unbeaten on 50.
For the Kiwis, Ajaz Patel took four wickets, while Ish Sodhi scalped two.
New Zealand had taken a seven-run lead replying to Bangladesh 310-run first innings total with 317.
Miraz key after Bangladesh lose nine
Bangladesh all-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz is key for the hosts, who are looking to extend their lead, after they lost nine wickets, with two of the latest falling in the post-Lunch session on Day 4 of the first Test against New Zealand in Sylhet on Friday.
Nayeem Hasan (4) and Taijul Islam (0) fell in quick succession leaving Miraz in charge of the getting a few useful runs. Shoriful Islam is the last batter as Bangladesh were at 327 for nine after 99 overs, with Miraz unbeaten on 48, hoping to have support from Shoriful, who was not out on one.
Sohan's struggle at the crease ends as Tigers lose seven
The fourth wicket of the morning session on Day 4 of the first Test was gifted away to the visitors as Bangladesh wicket-keeper batter Nurul Hasan Sohan's restlessness at the crease saw him chip one back to New Zealand's Glenn Phillips leaving Bangladesh seven down for 291 after 92 overs in Sylhet on Friday.
Sohan seemed to have lost the plot as he looked to be uncomfortable in his unfruitful attempts to take the attack to the Kiwi bowlers. He shot himself in the foot when he skipped down the wicket only to chip it back to off-spinner Phillips two overs before Lunch. He had managed 10 runs before his dismissal. He had gotten a reprieve when Daryl Mitchell dropped him on nine at first slip and failed to capitalise on his good fortune.
Bangladesh went into Lunch with 308 on the board for the loss of seven, with the lead at 301.
Mehedi Hasan Miraz remained unbeaten on 32, with Nayeem Hasan not out on three at the other end.
Bangladesh lose initiative as Mushfiqur departs
The fourth day of the Sylhet Test is not going according to Bangladesh's plan as New Zealand clawed back with three dismissals before the end of the first session, including two overnight batters Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim.
The Tigers are 285 for six after 87 overs in their second innings, leading by 278 runs. Mushfiqur was the latest to depart, falling to an arm ball off Ajaz Patel, out leg-before for 67 off 115.
Miraz, joined by Nurul Hasan Sohan, is not out on 16. Miraz, however, was lucky to stay in the middle after his lofted drive off Ajaz Patel in the 83rd over holed out to Henry Nicholls at mid-off. Nicholls took what appeared to be a brilliantly judged catch at mid-off, on the move and diving low to his left, but the third umpire was not sure whether the fielder grabbed it cleanly.
Before Mushfiqur, the hosts lost the wickets of debutant Shahadat Hossain Dipu and stand-in skipper Shanto (105) early in the day.
Dipu was trapped in front by leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, out for 18 off 19 balls.
Desperate to make further inroads, New Zealand skipper Tim Southee introduced five bowlers within the first 11 overs of the day and did not hesitate to opt for the new ball right after the completion of 80 overs.
Shanto departs in second over, Mushfiqur completes 27th Test fifty
Bangladesh stand-in captain Najmul Hossain Shanto could only add one more run to his overnight score as New Zealand's veteran pacer Tim Southee struck in his first over of Day 4 of the Sylhet Test today.
At the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Shanto was out for 105 off 198, caught-behind to a seemingly harmless delivery in trying to guide the ball in the fine-leg region, leading to the New Zealand skipper's first wicket of the innings in his second ball of the day after Daryl Mitchell opened the proceedings.
The Tigers are 240 for four after 74 overs in their second innings, with debutant Shahadat Hossain Dipu in the middle, leading by 233 runs.
Bangladesh are now banking on Mushfiqur Rahim to guide them into a big lead. Mushfiqur, meanwhile, has hit the 27th fifty of his Test career.
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