News/Article

Ryder misses ton as New Zealand recover

Jesse Ryder (centre) plays a shot

Jesse Ryder missed out on his maiden Test century by nine runs but still helped New Zealand stage a fightback on the fourth day of the rain-hit second Test against Bangladesh on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old left-hander, playing only his second Test, fell for 91 as New Zealand recovered from 49-3 to 198-4 by tea after Bangladesh put the tourists in at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium.

Ryder looked on course for a brilliant hundred before he miscued a sweep off left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak in the extended second session. He added 137 runs for the fourth wicket with Brendon McCullum, who was 64 not out at the break.

Daniel Flynn was unbeaten on three.

Ryder, who managed one and 38 in the first Test, which the tourists won by three wickets at Chittagong, batted with authority and impressed with well-timed drives and cuts. He hit 12 boundaries in his 140-ball knock.

Play in the Test finally started on Tuesday, an hour late, after the first three days were washed out.

Bangladesh's pace trio took a wicket apiece to justify skipper Mohammad Ashraful's decision to field first.

Mashrafe Mortaza trapped Aaron Redmond (two) leg-before in the third over before debutant Mahbubul Alam bowled Jamie How (eight) in the next over.

Bangladesh's third seamer Shahadat Hossain then removed a dangerous-looking Ross Taylor in his first over when the batsman left a delivery and was bowled. Taylor made 19 with three boundaries.

Bangladesh, who have no realistic hopes of forcing a win to square the two-Test series, gave Alam his Test debut to bolster their pace attack.

He replaced off-spinning all-rounder Naeem Islam from the first Test line-up.

The tourists were forced to make one change from their winning squad, bringing in Grant Elliott in place of all-rounder Jacob Oram, who returned home due to a back problem.