WELLINGTON, Jan 12: New Zealand were firmly in command of the second Test against Bangladesh at the end of the first day, trailing by only nine runs on the first innings with seven wickets in hand, at the Basin Reserve on Saturday.

A five-wicket haul for Chris Martin was instrumental in seeing Bangladesh dismissed for only 143 inside 46 overs, with New Zealand 134 for three at stumps.

Stephen Fleming was unbeaten on 39 with Mathew Sinclair on nine.

Bangladesh sniffed the possibility of being competitive when first Test centurion Matthew Bell was out for one and Peter Fulton followed for 15 to have New Zealand two for 35.

But Fleming and opener Craig Cumming set about building the innings, taking the score through to 118 before Shakib Al Hasan had Cumming trapped leg before wicket bringing Sinclair to the crease to see out the day.

Although New Zealand could not be satisfied losing three wickets they had plenty to celebrate when Chris Martin claimed his eighth five-wicket bag.

After Bangladesh where comprehensively beaten inside three days in the first Test their batsmen were expected to show more resolve, but the wickets tumbled with a familiar regularity.

The highest partnership was 31 by Junaid Siddique and Mohammad Ashraful for the third wicket.

Ashraful went on to top score with 35 and was the only Bangladeshi to feel aggrieved at his dismissal. English umpire Nigel Llong ruled the delivery from Iain O’Brien took the edge of the bat as it travelled through to wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum, but TV replays indicated the ball may have clipped the pad.

But there was no question about the other wickets as Martin (five for 65) and O’Brien (three for 34) ripped through the innings.

Amazingly, it was the ninth successive win of the toss for New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, who had no hesitation in choosing to bowl first on a greenish pitch with overcast and windy conditions.

Kyle Mills snapped up Bangladesh’s first Test hero Tamim Iqbal for 15 in the seventh over and by lunch the tourists were 86 for five with the innings ending just over an hour later.

Just as Ashraful had reason to question his dismissal, New Zealand also felt robbed when Bell was out in the second over, caught by Mushfiqur Rahim off Sajidul Islam.

It was again English umpire Llong who gave the decision, although replays indicated the ball hit Bell’s thigh pad.

The players wore black armbands and stood for a minute’s silence before the start of the match in memory of New Zealander Edmund Hillary, the first person to conquer Mount Everest, who died on Friday at the age of 88.

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