WELLINGTON, Jan 13: New Zealand's pace bowlers ripped through Bangladesh's top order to leave the visitors staring at almost certain defeat at the close of play on the second day of the second Test on Sunday.

The visitors, who began their second innings 250 runs behind New Zealand after dismissing them for 393 earlier in the day at the Basin Reserve, crumbled to 51 for five in their second innings, still 199 runs away from making New Zealand bat again.

Former captain Habibul Bashar was on 21, while all-rounder Saqibul Hasan was with him on four.

Bangladesh will be further hampered on Monday by the knowledge that recognised opener Tamim Iqbal has a broken thumb after dropping a catch on Sunday and may not be able to bat at all in their second innings.

New Zealand won the first Test in Dunedin by nine wickets within three days.

After New Zealand's Daniel Vettori (94) and Stephen Fleming (87) both fell agonisingly short of making hundreds in New Zealand's first innings, the bowlers rammed home the advantage by striking at regular intervals.

Kyle Mills had Junaid Siddique caught behind by Brendon McCullum for two when he mistimed a hook and the ball feathered his glove, before makeshift opener Shahriar Nafees nicked to Matthew Bell in the slips off Chris Martin in the next over.

Captain Mohammad Ashraful then mistimed a drive off a full delivery from Mills and the ball flew to Fleming at first slip to leave Bangladesh in deep trouble at 30 for three.

Habibul and Aftab Ahmed then attempted to halt the slide with a defensive mindset before a full delivery from Iain O’Brien just shaped away and Aftab’s knick went through to Fleming.

Mushfiqur Rahim also struggled and when he was caught by Bell off Oram for a duck the visitors were in desperate trouble at 45 for five.

New Zealand's innings had been anchored by Vettori, who struck 17 boundaries in an 87-ball innings but missed out on a third Test century when he was caught and bowled by Aftab.

Fleming had a life on 61 when he was dropped by Shahriar Nafees at deep mid-on but his luck ran out after lunch when he was caught at deep mid-wicket by Aftab off Saqibul after an innings featuring 13 boundaries.

The third biggest contributor to the New Zealand score were the extras at 51 as Bangladesh endured a horror day in the field.

But there was also reason for dissatisfaction in the New Zealand camp with no batsmen capable of pushing on for a century despite the high Bangladesh error rate.

Sinclair, who resumed the day on nine, survived two close leg-before-wicket appeals and three dropped catches before eventually falling for 47.

Fleming, now in the twilight of his career but still looking for a century on his adopted home ground, moved smoothly through to 61 when he was dropped by Shahriar Nafees.

Fleming's dismissal brought Vettori to the crease to join Brendon McCullum (40) and they put on 81 runs in a rollicking 15 overs for the seventh wicket.

Vettori, who hit five fours in one over from Sajidul Islam, had a lift on 70 when Ashraful dropped a regulation catch at mid-on and added a further 24 runs before he was caught and bowled by Aftab.

His 94 included 17 boundaries and came from 87 deliveries.

Shahadat Hossain, who took the wickets of Sinclair, Oram and McCullum, was the most successful of the Bangladesh bowlers but his three wickets cost 83 runs.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH (1st Innings) 143 (C.S. Martin 5-65).

NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings, overnight 134-3):

M.D. Bell c Mushfiqur b Sajidul 1

C.D. Cumming lbw b Saqibul 42

P.G. Fulton lbw b Mashrafe 22

S.P. Fleming c Aftab b Saqibul 87

M.S. Sinclair c Mushfiqur b Shahadat 47

J.D.P. Oram c Mushfiqur b Shahadat 1

B.B. McCullum c Saqibul b Shahadat 40

D.L. Vettori c and b Aftab 94

K.D. Mills b Mashrafe 4

I.E. O’Brien b Aftab 4

C.S. Martin not out 0

EXTRAS (B-5, LB-23, W-10, NB-13) 51

TOTAL (all out, 103.2 overs) 393

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-35, 3-118, 4-214, 5-216, 6-242, 7-323, 8-362, 9-390.

BOWLING: Mashrafe Mortaza 29-5-100-2 (1w); Sajidul Islam 14-1-91-1, (5nb, 4w); Shahadat Hossain 27-4-83-3 (6nb, 1w); Aftab Ahmed 12.2-4-31-2; Saqibul Hasan 19-7-44-2; Mohammad Ashraful 2-0-16-0.

BANGLADESH (2nd Innings):

Shahriar Nafees c Bell b Martin 12

Junaid Siddique c McCullum b Mills 2

Habibul Bashar not out 21

Mohammad Ashraful c Fleming b Mills 1

Aftab Ahmed c Fleming b O’Brien 5

Mushfiqur Rahim c Bell b Oram 0

Saqibul Hasan not out 4

EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-5) 6

TOTAL (for five wkts, 22 overs) 51

FALL OF WKTS: 1-10, 2-14, 3-30, 4-44, 5-45.

BOWLING (to-date): Martin 6-0-23-1 (1nb); Mills 6-2-15-2; Oram 5-3-4-1; O'Brien 5-1-8-1.—Agencies