Daniel Vettori and Stephen Fleming both fell agonisingly short of making hundreds after putting New Zealand in total command of the second test against Bangladesh on Sunday.
Vettori scored 94 and Fleming 87 as the Kiwis posted a big first innings total of 393 on the second day the Basin Reserve.
That gave the home team a healthy 250-run lead after Bangladesh were dismissed for 143 on day one, raising the prospect of another early finish after the hosts won last week’s first test in Dunedin by nine wickets with two days to spare.
Vettori struck 17 boundaries in an 87-ball innings but missed out on a third Test century when he was caught and bowled by Aftab Ahmed.
Fleming had a life on 61 when he was dropped by Shariar Nafees at deep mid-on but his luck ran out after lunch when he was caught at deep mid-wicket by Aftab Ahmed off Shakib Al Hasan after an innings featuring 13 boundaries.
Mathew Sinclair (47) and Brendon McCullum (40) also made starts but missed out on fifties while all-rounder Jacob Oram was unlucky to be given out for one to a catch behind.
Sinclair and Oram both departed before lunch in identical fashion, caught by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim off the bowling of Shadadat Hossain.
Sinclair had added 38 to his overnight score of nine while Oram, who made a century in Dunedin and was named man of the match, was unlucky with television replays showing he had not made contact with the ball.
McCullum was initially given out for 42, caught by Al Hasan at point, but his score was later amended to 40 after replays showed that one of his sixes had bounced just inside the rope.
Bangladesh paceman Hossain was the best of the bowlers, capturing three wickets for 83 off 27 overs, while Mashrafe Mortaza, Ahmed and Shakib Al Hasan bagged two each. – Reuters