New Zealand, Jan 14 (AP/UNB) — Half centuries by Tom Latham and Kane Williamson and an aggressive innings by Ross Taylor on Saturday steered New Zealand to 186-2 at tea on the third day of the first test against Bangladesh.Latham was 65 not out and Taylor had raced to 36 from 33 balls as New Zealand worked toward its first target of avoiding the follow-on after Bangladesh its first innings at 595-8 early in the morning session.
Latham played a vital anchor role for New Zealand in the three and a quarter hours he batted before tea. He lost his opening partner Jeet Raval (27) caught behind from Kamrul Islam’s first delivery, and then stabilized the innings in a 77-run partnership with Williamson.
Williamson (53) had looked set for a big score when he reached his half century from only 54 balls but Taksin — playing his first test and only his 11th first-class match — produced a peach of a delivery that angled in and then seamed away to find the edge of Williamson’s bat and carried through to stand-in wicketkeeper Imrul Kayes.
Imrul took the gloves from Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahman who sat out Saturday’s play to nurse a finger injury suffered while batting the previous day.
Latham and Taylor had added 55 runs unbeaten to tea, and their partnership loomed as critical, with Henry Nicholls the only remaining batsman, followed by allrounder Colin de Grandhomme and wicketkeeper B.J. Watling.
