Mominul hits unbeaten ton as Bangladesh fight back against Kiwis

Mominul Haque struck an unbeaten century as Bangladesh battled back bravely against New Zealand to leave the second Test and series up for grabs after an entertaining fourth day in Mirpur on Thursday.

The 22-year-old left-hander was 126 not out alongside Shakib Al Hasan (32) at close, as the hosts reached 269-3 in their second innings, a lead of 114 runs.

New Zealand could only add 18 to their overnight score, with Ish Sodhi (58) run out by Mominul and Abdur Razzak trapping Trent Boult (4) leg before wicket as the tourists were dismissed for 437, a first innings lead of 155.

Bangladesh, looking for a first Test win over the Black Caps, started their second innings poorly and were 55-2 after seamer Neil Wagner had Anamul Haque (22) and Marshall Ayub (9) both caught in the slips.

But Mominul steadied the ship, batting through the second session with opener Tamim Iqbal as the pair put on 157 for the third wicket, a Bangladesh record, and clawed the hosts out of the deficit.

Mominul brought up his second Test century in fine style with a slog sweep four over mid-on, one of 16 boundaries he hit in his impressive knock.

The partnership was eventually ended when Tamim was dismissed for 70 after tea, cutting a ball from Kane Williamson which Ross Taylor brilliantly caught to leave Bangladesh on 212-3.

Shakib joined Mominul at the crease and continued the fightback, seeing out the last 17 overs of the day to leave it all to play for in Friday's final three sessions.

The first Test was drawn. 

 Scorecard

 Bangladesh (1st innings): 282

 New Zealand (1st innings): (overnight 419-8)

 P Fulton lbw b Shakib 14

 H Rutherford c Mominul b Shakib 13

 K Williamson c Tamim b Razzak 62

 R Taylor c Nasir b Shakib 53

 B McCullum c Rubel b Shakib 11

 C Anderson c Gazi b Al-Amin 116

 BJ Watling not out 70

 D Bracewell c Mushfiqur b Shakib 17

 N Wagner c Marshall b Nasir 8

 I Sodhi run out 58

 T Boult lbw b Abdur Razzak 4

 Extras: (B-4, LB-4, W-2, NB-1) 11

 Total: (all out; 140 overs) 437

 Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-32, 3-101, 4-127, 5-267, 6-287,

7-318, 8-335, 9-428.

 Bowling: Al-Amin 16-3-58-1, Sohag Gazi 34-8-77-0, Shakib 43-13-103-5, Razzak 23-1-96-2, Rubel 18-1-81-0, Nasir 3-1-7-1, Mominul 3-0-7-0.

 Bangladesh (2nd innings):

 Tamim Iqbal c Taylor b Williamson 70

 Anamul Haque c Fulton b Wagner 22

 Marshall Ayub c Taylor b Wagner 9

 Mominul Haque not out 126

 Shakib Al Hasan not out 32

 Extras: (b-8, LB-1, NB-1) 10

 Total: (For three wkts; 89 overs) 269

 Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-55, 3-212.

 Bowling: Boult 16-2-62-0, Bracewell 14-2-47-0, Wagner 18-4-52-2, Sodhi 14-2-37-0, Anderson 9-2-18-0, Williamson 18-4-44-1.

Image: Mominul Haque celebrates after scoring a century on the fourth day of the second Test against New Zealand

Photograph courtesy: Bangladesh Cricket Board