Devon Conway scored his second Test hundred while Bangladesh scalped wickets at regular intervals on Day 1 of the Bay Oval Test. The home side were 258 for 5 at close of play. The visitors can be satisfied with the way they did not let the hosts take more control of the game by scalping couple of late wickets after New Zealand notched two solid partnerships in the first and second sessions.
After winning the toss in the match, Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque decided to bowl first and Kiwi captain Tom Latham got out scoring just 1 run and thus the first international wicket of the new year was claimed by Bangladesh bowler Shoriful Islam.
Islam had removed New Zealand's stand-in captain Tom Latham in the fourth over of the morning - the pacer got one to nip back into Latham, who inside edged the ball and it lobbed behind. Wicketkeeper Liton Das dived in front to take a terrific catch.
Two solid partnerships
Conway’s 138-run partnership off 271 deliveries with Will Young seemed to be the defining portion of the day but a lack of communication between the two batsmen resulted in a poor run out which saw Young depart after scoring 52 off 135 balls.
While this is the second Test century of Conway's career and the first Test century on New Zealand soil and Conway will never forget this superb innings. The southpaw completed the second century of his career and the first century of the new year off 186 balls. The 30-year-old batsman got out after scoring 122 runs off 227 deliveries. His innings was comprised of 16 fours and 1 six.
Then came the veteran Kiwi batter Ross Taylor who is playing the last test series of his envious international career. Conway added a further 50 with Taylor. But even their partnership could not last for long after Islam picked up his second wicket of the day by dismissing Taylor. Taylor went forward to drive on the rise but failed to keep it down and picked the man standing in the cover region.
Haque picking up the crucial wicket
Bangladesh skipper Haque picked up the crucial wicket of Conway. A length ball at leg stump was bowled by Haque. Conway wanted to glance but ended up getting a slight edge and wicketkeeper Liton Das made no mistake in taking the catch.
Conway had to depart just an over before the second new ball.
Ebadot Hossain also was rewarded at the end of the day when he had Tom Blundell bowled off the inside edge.
