Bangladesh fast bowling coach Ottis Gibson is proud for the way his bowlers battled New Zealand on day one of the first Test at Mount Maunganui Saturday.
Gibson believes they are very much in the hunt after young left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam led the Bangladesh attack and kept the opponents in control.
At stumps on the first day, the hosts posted 258 for five after the Bangladesh seamers were accurate with the new ball and then picked up late wickets to restrict the Kiwis.
“I am proud at the boys battled and the fast bowlers kept coming in. [Mehedi Hasan] Miraz did a great job stopping the game from one end and help the fast bowlers operate from other end,” said Gibson in the post day message to the media.
Shoriful and Taskin Ahmed gave away just one run in the first 7.3 overs of the day.
Shoriful removed Tom Latham for one and set forth a testing first hour for Devon Conway and Will Young.
Conway and Young added 138 runs for the second wicket but the late wickets of centurion Conway and Tom Blundell kept the tourists in the game.
“I think the first hour we were fantastic. We beat the bat few times and got one opportunity and on other day we could have got more. Conway played very well. All and all 250/5 (258), even stevens I feel,” Gibson explained.
At the end of the day Shoriful left the field with two wickets conceding 53 in 20 overs.
Ebadat Hossain and captain Mominul Haque picked up one scalp each.
Miraz remained wicketless but was applauded for being economical leaking 72 runs in 27 overs.
“Coming back from Bangladesh we don’t see that much grass so grass is a factor. In the toss we felt we will get some movement upfront with the new ball, which we got. It was obviously very hot and the moistures got out very quickly and it became pretty flat wicket for batting,” said Gisbon.
“I think all the fast bowlers bowled well in difficult condition and alien condition to them. There was a good LBW shout against Conway, in other day that guy’s given out or whatever you know and those are the small margins in international cricket and all and all fast bowlers toiled quite hard,” the former West Indies cricketer added.