Bangladesh registered their first home Test victory against New Zealand, beating them by a massive margin of 150 runs in the first Test of the two-match series in Sylhet today (December 2).

Defending 331 for victory in the fourth innings, Bangladesh had cleaned up a major part of New Zealand’s batting line up by the end of day four, reducing them to 113-7.

They started the final day needing three more wickets to seal a historic victory. It took them some doing as the New Zealand lower order offered some resistance, but not nearly enough to starve off defeat.

Daryl Mitchell, not out overnight on 44, completed his half-century and was the first batter dismissed today (December 2) for 58 off 120 balls. Top-edging a sweep off Nayeem Hasan, Mitchell was caught at the boundary to all but end New Zealand’s hopes.

The New Zealand captain Tim Southee then swung his bat around for a bit, hitting a four and two sixes enroute to 34 off 24 balls, before falling prey to Taijul Islam. The left-arm spinner deservingly picked the last New Zealand wicket to fall as well, finishing with figures of 6-75. Coupled with his 4-109 in the first innings, Taijul ended the match with a ten-for, the second of his Test career.

This is Bangladesh’s second-ever Test win over New Zealand, and their first at home. The only other Test they have won against them was in Mount Maunganui in January 2022. With this victory, Bangladesh now have Test wins against seven different nations at home. The only four teams they are yet to defeat in a home Test are India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and South Africa.

Earlier in the game, Mahmudul Hasan Joy led Bangladesh’s effort with the bat in the first innings. He scored 86 off 166 as ten out of eleven Bangladeshi batters entered double digits to take them to 310. Glenn Phillips, playing just his second Test, picked 4-53.

In response, Kane Williamson brought up his 29th Test ton, taking the visitors just past Bangladesh’s total as they ended with a slender lead of seven runs. The Bangladesh middle order then stood up in the second innings, led by their skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, who scored his fifth Test ton to help his team set up a stiff target of 332 for New Zealand.

On a turning pitch at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, it was always going to prove difficult, and that is how it turned out as New Zealand were bundled out for 181 in 71.1 overs, losing the game by 150 runs, the second biggest margin of victory in Test matches for Bangladesh against teams other than Zimbabwe and Afghanistan.

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