Bangladesh end their tour of New Zealand with a three match Test series in which they will attempt to show their credentials in the longest format of the game overseas, and potentially highlight the improvements they are making as a side.
New Zealand have played more Test cricket this summer than in many that have gone before it and will look for another series win to take into the winter with them. They will be overwhelming favourites to get it too.
Schedule
1st Test: 28 Feb – 4 Mar at Hamilton
2nd Test: 8-12 Mar at Wellington
3rd Test: 16-20 Mar at Christchurch
New Zealand
The Kiwis have played two Test series this winter already, winning in Pakistan and then seeing off a dogged Sri Lanka side, which in fairness looks a very good result now after what that team have just done to South Africa. Those successes mean that New Zealand have now won six of their last seven series in this format and they are becoming a force to be reckoned with, wherever they play.
One of the reasons for that, and indeed probably the main one, is the quality they have with the ball, but also the variety they have with it too. They have two of the best utilisers of the new ball going around and then when things go quiet they have a good spin option and someone who can put in a barrage of short balls. With a batting line up made up of solid performers New Zealand look the real deal.
Bangladesh
This is the third Test series of the winter for Bangladesh as well after they were held by Zimbabwe and beat West Indies back home at the beginning of the period. This is their acid test though and a chance to show that they are improving. Their series record wouldn’t suggest that they are in that the win over West Indies was their first success since 2014 but they had drawn six of their 12 series in between those wins so they are getting there.
The big question for Bangladesh heading into this series will be whether they have what it takes with the ball to take 20 wickets and stay in these matches. Yes there is also a question over their batting in these conditions too, but if they can’t keep control with the ball then they are going to be on something of a hiding to nothing.
Head to Head
New Zealand have had much the better of the head to head record between these two sides. There have been seven previous series between the pair and the Kiwis have won six of them with the other one being a draw. All four series in New Zealand have gone the way of the home side so Bangladesh are going to have to create history to win this series.
If you wanted something to highlight the size of the task awaiting the tourists here it comes in the match record. These two nations have played 13 previous Test matches and other than three draws, Bangladesh have lost the lot so any match they win here would be the first success they will have tasted over this opponent.
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Betting
History suggests that New Zealand will win this series and win it 3-0 but we are not going to get rich backing that so I’ll take a bet in both batting line ups for my series work. Tom Latham filled his boots in the Test series between these two a couple of years ago with scores of 177, 68 and 41* and I fancy we’ll see him going well in this series too. He was in fantastic form against Sri Lanka earlier in the summer when he made scores of 264* and 176 in the two matches in that series and with a 50 in the final ODI to warm up for these games I fancy the 5/2 on Latham to top score could well land the spoils.
In the Bangladesh ranks, given that there is no Shakib al Hasan at all and no Mushfiqur Rahim initially I think Mohammad Mithun could be the one to follow. He only played two of the ODIs because of injury but he looked the best batsman on show for Bangladesh in them, making 50s in both games. There are a couple of competent batsmen in this Bangladesh line up but I don’t want anyone who is going to be near the new ball which rules out the likes of Tamim Iqbal. At 6/1 Mithun should give us more than a run for our money.
Tips
Back T.Latham Top New Zealand Series Batsman for a 3/10 stake at 3.50 with 888sport
Back M.Mithun Top Bangladesh Series Batsman for a 1/10 stake at 7.00 with 888sport
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