Cricket: Stalemate for Black Caps in two-day test

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DHAKA - Bangladesh fought hard to stave off an embarrassing defeatagainst some quality New Zealand bowling as the second test finallyended in a draw on the fifth and final day here last night (NZT).
New Zealand clinched the two-match series 1-0 after they won thefirst test at Chittagong by three wickets. They nearly pulled off ahighly unlikely win after the first three days were washed out.
The home team were facing a possible follow-on and with it a defeatat 44 for six before brilliant knocks by all-rounders Shakib AlHasan (49) and Mashrafe Mortaza (48) helped them avoid the ignominyof batting for a second time.
With not much to play for, the tourists batted a second time andreached 79 for one before both captains decided to call off thematch. Jesse Ryder followed his 91 in the first-innings with anunbeaten 39 while Aaron Redmond made 30 not out.
Opener Jamie How was dismissed for eight.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori said while the series win wassatisfying, it was also gratifying to see the progress made by someof the less experienced team members.
"Coming here and winning the series was always going to be alittle bit more difficult that people presumed, and there's beensome good performances along the way," he said afterwards.
"We're very inexperienced, particularly in the battingline-up, and to see guys like Aaron Redmond and Jesse Ryder standup in these last test matches, and Daniel Flynn, has been verypleasing."
Vettori, who took 14 wickets over the two tests, also contributedwith the bat, and said an unbeaten 55 and second innings 76 fromthe first test was particularly pleasing.
"Any spinner who comes to the sub-continent wants to make amark, and I've been fortunate the last two times that things havegone my way.
"I've been particularly happy with my batting - that's alwaysa good sign for me, and now I'm looking forward to trying tocontinue that in Australia."
The Black Caps' first game in Australia is a four-day match againstNew South Wales on November 13, with the first test scheduled tostart in Brisbane on November 20 and the second in Adelaide eightdays later.
Yesterday, Hasan and Mortaza put on a fighting 78-run stand for theseventh wicket which enabled Bangladesh to declare their firstinnings at 169 for nine, six more than required to avoid thefollow-on.
Because the match became a two-day game after the first three dayswere washed out, Bangladesh needed to reach within 100 runs of NewZealand's first innings score of 262 for six declared to avoidbatting a second time.
Resuming at 13 for three, the home side lost Mehrab Hossain (seven)when off-spinner Jeetan Patel turned one sharply into him, trappinghim in front of the stumps.