AUCKLAND ADVANCE

At least Richardson did not suffer further pain from the left thumb he broke playing for New Zealand against South Australia last month, and which pained him severely during the second and third tests against Australia at Hobart and Perth.

Vincent, the batting hero of Perth, started with a crunching four to mid-wicket from aa Monjurul long hop. The Bangladeshis were eager appealers and they shouted loudly for a legside catch against Horner, but the umpire, Hill, ruled the ball went for four leg-byes. Horne marked the occasion with a four snicked over slips.

The tourists roared again when Vincent played and missed at Monjurul, but the Auckland had a ready answer -- he hooked the next ball for six, the first of the day.

Monjurul and Sharif worked away steadily, but Horne and Vincent seemed to have the innings under control.

Then, just before drinks, Vincent shouldered arms to a good length ball from Monjurul which swung back, and umpire Doug Cowie agreed with the Bangladeshis' vigorous appeal. Vincent was gone for 15, and Auckland were 36 for two wickets in the 13th over.

AUCKLAND WRAP UP

Adams was building an imposing bowling analysis with two wickets for 12 runs from 15 overs, and he had Bangladesh in further trouble when he broke the 24-run ninth wicket stand by bowling Sharif after his patient collection of 11 runs from 47 balls.

Masud still hung on grimly, after Adams had rested, but Monjurul Sharif was less accurate, and Canning had him lbw to end the tourists' innings at 120 in the tick of tea-time. Masud was 30 not out, and Drum had the best bowling figures of four for 32. Adams had the impressive figures of 13-6-16-3.

WICKETS WASTED BY TOURISTS

Sanwar was again the big spender, and a cross-batted swish speared a ball from Mills high over the slip field and away to the boundary. Then Mahmud inevitably ran out of luck, sparring at a short ball from Drum, and Horne at second slip took the catch -- Bangladesh 68 for six.

Then Anwar's lively hour, containing so many hair-raising strokes, came to an end, with Drum doing the damage and Young had his third catch -- the tourists staggering at 75 for seven.

Then along came Khaled Masud, the captain and wicketkeeper, who immediately started to play rousing strokes, and to run like a hare for his singles.

He clipped a short ball from Mills for four and Enamul, the only left-handed sighted so far, cover-drove Drum handsomely for four through extra-cover as Bangladesh approached the relative dignity of a three-figure total. Masud helped with another well-timed four through square leg.

Then, in typically exasperating fashion, Enamul rather spoiled it all with a loose stroke that simply steered a ball from Drum into Vincent's hands at third slip. By drinks Masud was still there on 14, Bangladesh 93 for eight wickets.

IMPATIENCE COSTS BANGLADESH WICKETS

Drum had to rest, nine overs for 23 for one wicket, and was replaced by Adams, who every now and then flummoxed the batsmen with his faster ball.

Then Mills rested, with respectable figures of 10-3-17-1, and Canning took his place, with immediate success. With his fourth ball he beat Al-Shariar's stroke and the catch went comfortably to Young, the keeper. Al-Shariar had toiled 107 minute and scored his 25 from 70 balls -- mixing some fluent strokes with some nervous jabs at the seaming ball.

This brought Mohammed Ashraful, who had scored a century as a 17-year-old in his first test, to the crease. He is one of Bangldesh's favourite sons, and one of the shortest.

This did not stop him clipping Canning for four to extra cover from the second ball he faced. However, that was the teenager's last piece of good luck, for in the next over Adams, looking the fastest of all the bowlers, got the edge and Young the catch. Bangladesh were 48 for four wickets, with Drum, Mills, Canning and Adams each taking a wicket.

The new batsman Sanwar Hossain was an enterprising character. He tried to hit his first ball, from Adams, for four with a huge swing, which missed. He tried the same tactic against Canning, with the same result.

So Anwar tried again, and hit Canning superbly through the covers for four, and picked up a three in the same over.

After 30 overs Bangladesh had moved the rate up to two runs an over, and seemed to be heading for lunch without further damage. However, Aminul decided on am ambitious hook at Adams, and the catch lobbed gently to Richardson at widish mid-on, and Bangladesh went to lunch at 63 for five wickets.

BANGLADESH LOSE TWO EARLY WICKETS

Sahariar celebrated with a splendid back-foot four to mid-wicket from Drum, followed by a flowing front-foot drive through extra cover for another boundary.

While the Auckland bowlers looked like they expected early success against batsmen in very alien conditions, Omar and Al-Sahariar batted solidly, if with a little luck. Drum appealed loudly for lbw against Omar (3) when the ball snarled in and appeared to hit bat and pad at the same time.

In the next over Mills roared unsuccessfully lbw against Al-Shariah, with umpire Tony Hill ruling the ball would have missed leg stump.

Then the Bangladesh good luck ran out. Omar played rather rashly at a shortish ball from Drum, and the edge flew into Vincent's safe hands at third slip. The next batsman Habibul Bashar almost copied the same mistake, but the edge dropped just in front of Horne at second slip.

Habibul was not to last much longer. He played a couple of bold shots from the back foot, but in the next over Mills' outswinger clipped Habibul's off stump, and Bangladesh were 29 for two wickets.

Al-Sahariar continued to work away solidly, survived a run out appeal from a direct hit by Adams, and the tourists went to drinks at 31 for two from 15 overs.

FIRST BLOOD FOR AUCKLAND

He wore the same grin when he won the toss against Central Districts late last month. On that occasion Walker put Central Districts in to bat and Auckland won by eight wickets after a first-day assault on the Central batting.

The same action today, with Walker putting Bangladesh into bat, hoping for an action-replay of the first-day damage. The odds may be with him. The grounstaff's match-preparation has been hampered by the rain showers that have plagued Auckland for the last week. During the fine weather gaps yesterday the groundstaff were able to get the heavy roller into action.

Thus the surface is fairly hard, but there is a solid covering of low-trimmed grass -- just what Trevor Chappell, the Bangladesh coach did not want. His team did not bat during the rain-hit three-day match against the districts eleven at Wanganui, and Chappell is worried that more rain, or a very lively pitch, will further limit his team's batting preparation for the first test at Hamilton starting next Tuesday.

Teams:

Bangladesh: Khaled Masud (captain), Habibul Bashar, Aminul Islam, Javed Omar Mohammed Ashraful, Ah-Shahriar, Enamul Hoque, Monjurul Islam, Mohammed Sharif, Khaled Mahmud, Sanwar Hossain, Hasibul Hossain (12th man).

Auckland: Brooke Walker (captain), Mark Richardson, Matt Horne, Lou Vincent, Aaron Barnes, Andre Adams, Nick Horsley, Reece Young, Tama Canning, Kyle Mills, Chris Drum, Mark Haslam (12th man).

Umpires: Doug Cowie, Tony Hill.

© CricInfo

Date-stamped : 12 Dec2001 - 06:36