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Latham ton has Kiwis in the hunt

The Black Caps opener makes up for earlier dropped sitter to post his sixth Test ton at the Basin Reserve

New Zealand opener Tom Latham reached stumps on day three of the first Test against Bangladesh unbeaten on 119 as New Zealand continued to chip away at the visitor's mammoth first innings total of 8(dec)-595.

The 24-year-old was the stand-out for the Kiwis as they reached 3-292 at stumps, when bad light ended play three overs early at the Basin in Wellington. Henry Nicholls will resume his innings on Sunday on 35.

The left-handed Latham reached his sixth Test century by clipping Taskin Ahmed to midwicket for three runs. His ton came off 167 balls and included 12 fours.

In doing so, he became just the fourth New Zealand opener to score a century at the Basin. John Wright scored three at the ground but you have to then go back to 1930 when both Stewie Dempster and Jackie Mills scored tons against England in a Test at the ground.

Latham had a life on 83 when he mistimed a hook off Taskin and it looped up but landed just short of the backward square leg fielder.

Day two: Shakib rinses Black Caps at the Basin

But otherwise it was a chanceless innings.

Nicholls lived a much more risky life. There were close lbw calls and he survived on 22 when he spooned a ball to cover from a leading edge, but no Bangladeshi fielders could get near.

Earlier, New Zealand lost opener Jeet Raval, caught behind for 27 in the morning session and then skipper Kane Williamson for 53 to a similar dismissal in the afternoon.

Williamson was 21-year-old debutant Taskin's first Test scalp.

Ross Taylor, who had been looking confident, then went for 40 when he slapped a short ball from Kamrul Islam to Mahmudullah at square leg.

Kamrul finished with figures of 2-53, Taskin 1-79, Subashis Roy 0-46, Mehedi Hasan 0-82 and Shakib Al Hasan 0-30.

After resuming at 7-542 on Saturday morning, Bangladesh batted for 65 minutes before declaring at 8-595.

Their innings was built on the second-day heroics of Shakib (217) and Mushfiqur Rahim (159) and their record-breaking 359-run partnership.