New Zealand strengthen position at tea on day 1

CHITTAGONG: Peter Fulton and Kane Williamson hit half-centuries as New Zealand moved towards a big score in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong on Wednesday.

Opener Fulton hit a patient 73 off 198 balls and Williamson was unbeaten on 71 as the Black Caps reached a commanding 186-2 by tea on the opening day at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium.

The pair put on 126 for the second wicket, building on a 57-run opening partnership between Fulton and Hamish Rutherford on the slow newly-laid pitch.

Rutherford scored a fluent 34 with three boundaries and a six, before he top-edged Sohag Gazi to mid-off to give Bangladesh the breakthrough.
Williamson drove the first ball he faced to the cover fence and then flicked the fifth delivery off Shakib Al Hasan for another boundary.
Fulton, who needed 156 balls to reach his 50, celebrated his third half-century in Test cricket by pulling Marshall Ayub for a six over mid-wicket.

But the 34-year-old from Canterbury fell in the penultimate over before tea, hitting a short ball from part-time spinner Nasir Hossain to Mominul Haque in the covers.

New batsman Ross Taylor kept Williamson company at tea on two as the Black Caps set themselves up for a big first innings total. (AFP)