Pacers strike after Tom Latham hits 252

Bangladesh collapsed in a heap after New Zealand declared on 521 for 6 an hour after the lunch break on the second day of the second Test. The visitors were tottering on 11 for 4 at one stage, with Trent Boult and Tim Southee taking two wickets each. Yasir Ali and Litton Das fended off the attack to take them to tea on 27 for 4, still trailing by a massive 494 runs.

Tom Latham took two of the catches at second slip, staying in the thick of things after his mammoth 252. His innings ended when he attempted to hit Mominul Haque for a third six in the same over, and he was caught at deep square leg after hitting two sixes through midwicket. He had earlier struck 34 fours too, in his 373-ball knock.

Latham became only the second New Zealander to have two 250-plus scores, after Stephen Fleming. He got a lot of the runs through the gully and point region, but that was mainly because he forced the Bangladesh bowlers to bowl at him after leaving many of their good balls on the first day.

New Zealand's dominance followed with the ball when Boult struck first with Shadman Islam's wicket, caught by Latham at second slip. It was a scrambled seam delivery that could have been left alone, but Shadman was iffy outside the off-stump. Southee removed Mohammad Naim for a five-ball duck, getting one to bounce sharply on him, but again, a delivery that could have been left alone. Naim got bowled off the inside edge.

The collapse continued when Najmul Hossain Shanto also edged Boult to Latham at second slip, a dismissal similar to Shadman. Mominul fell in the next over, missing a full ball from Southee to make it 11 for 4, Bangladesh's second lowest score at the fall of the fourth wicket.

Earlier, Bangladesh had a better time with the ball on the second day, starting with four wickets in the first session. But it was largely New Zealand dominating proceedings, including a few personal milestones. Devon Conway, sitting on 99 overnight, reached his third Test century with a four off the first ball of the day.

Latham then became only the third New Zealand captain to hit a double-century as an opener.

While Latham continued, Conway was run out for 109 when Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored a direct hit running in from the covers. It ended a 215-run second wicket stand that was a great follow-up to the 148-run opening stand between Latham and Will Young.

That great platform allowed Conway to be strokeful from the get-go. Two shots stood out - cover drives both. He struck one to get off the mark off Mehidy, and another was off Taskin Ahmed in the first over with the second new ball.

Conway's departure brought Ross Taylor to the crease for possibly the last time in whites for New Zealand. The Bangladesh team gave him a guard of honour, before proceeding to present him with deliveries that allowed him to play his favourite cover drive and cut shot. But after making 28, Taylor miscued a hit to Shoriful Islam at square-leg.

The bowler to get him out, Ebadot Hossain, immediately greeted Taylor on his way out. Bangladesh also removed Henry Nicholls and Darly Mitchell before lunch.

But wicketkeeper Tom Blundell ensured New Zealand didn't go off the boil with a quick half-century. He struck eight fours in his 60-ball 57, an innings that also helped him out of recent poor run. Blundell added 66 runs for the sixth wicket with Latham, who was sixth out, shortly before he declared the innings.

Source: ESPNcricinfo