New Zealand vs Bangladesh live updates: First test, day one

Live updates of the first test between the Black Caps and Bangladesh at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

The Black Caps begin their World Test Championship (WTC) campaign with a two-test series in Bangladesh, beginning in Sylhet today. The first ball will be bowled at the friendly time of 4.30pm NZT (9.30am local time).

Tim Southee and his side will be looking to take maximum WTC points from these two Tests against ninth-ranked Bangladesh, they then host an under-strength South African side whose stars will be playing in their domestic T20 league.

Reaching a second WTC final would likely mean needing nine wins out of 14 matches, so if they were to win four Tests to start the season that would set them well on their way.

New Zealand have not played a Test in Bangladesh since 2013 , when both matches in the series were drawn. You have to go back to 2008 for the Black Caps’ last Test win in Bangladesh where then-captain Daniel Vettori famously batted for more than six hours in chasing 317 for victory.

The Black Caps have won four out of the past five Tests against Bangladesh, three of those by an innings. The last time the two sides met in a Test was January 2022 in Christchurch where New Zealand won by an innings and 117 runs. That Test was also Ross Taylor’s last for the Black Caps with the legend securing the wicket of Ebadot Hossain as his final act in Test cricket.

Kane Williamson and Tim Southee both start the test season on 94 tests. They will need to play all six to reach 100 against Australia in Christchurch, starting March 8.

Williamson has 28 test centuries, one more would see him join Virat Kohli and Sir Donald Bradman in 16th all-time. Two more and he’s tied with Matthew Hayden, Joe Root and Shivnarine Chanderpaul in 13th all-time. Williamson is looking to score a century in his fourth straight test, and with 8124 total test runs sits 32nd all time – next is Kevin Pietersen’s 8181 and David Gower’s 8231.

Tom Latham is 184 runs shy of John Wright (sixth all-time NZ). Henry Nicholls needs 52 runs to become the 16th Kiwi to reach 3000 runs.

Tim Southee needs 24 runs to reach 2000 runs, becoming just the fourth in test cricket to do so without scoring a ton. Southee has 370 test wickets - three shy of Waqar Younis (21st overall) and six behind Malcolm Marshall (20th).

For live updates, go to nzherald.co.nz/sport. Listen to ball-by-ball commentary of every home Black Caps match this summer LIVE and FREE on iHeart Radio with The Alternative Commentary Collective.

The match will be available on ThreeNow from 4pm NZT.

Black Caps: Tim Southee (c), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Naeem Hasan, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Hasan Murad

Black Caps: $1.55 Draw: $5.45 Bangladesh: $3.80