New Zealand v Bangladesh, 2016-17

At Wellington, January 12-16, 2017. New Zealand won by seven wickets. Toss: New Zealand. Test debuts: Subashis Roy, Taskin Ahmed.
As the fans poured into the Basin Reserve on the final day, free admission seemed a likelier attraction than the prospect of a result. But, from 66 for three at the start of play, Bangladesh were all out for 160 soon after lunch, leaving New Zealand with a dash for victory. Bangladesh's second innings was decimated by injuries. Opener Imrul Kayes retired hurt on the fourth evening with a thigh strain, while captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who badly damaged his right hand during his first-innings 159, would have preferred not to have returned to the crease. In desperate circumstances, he entered the fray on the last morning, and was peppered by the short ball, until Southee felled him with a blow behind the left ear. An ambulance rushed through the pickets and, after Mushfiqur was stabilised, sped to hospital for scans, which cleared him of danger. After Boult obliterated the tail, the same could not be said of Bangladesh.

New Zealand had 57 overs to knock off 217, and reached it with consummate ease. The result became a fait accompli after Williamson and Taylor put on 163 at more than six an over for the third wicket. Williamson's 15th century, completed in 89 balls, was the fourth fastest in the final innings of a Test. Yet it came without fluster or flamboyance, as he clipped the ball around at will. Among those to have batted 15 times or more in the fourth innings, Williamson's average of 66 was behind only Don Bradman's 73.

The late drama masked an extraordinary three and a half days of batting, amid gales and rain. On the first evening, Shakib Al Hasan was dropped on four by Mitchell Santner, part of a shoddy fielding display from New Zealand. By the second, he had reached 217, Bangladesh's highest Test score, and put on 359 for the fifth wicket with Mushfiqur, an all-wicket record between the countries. Bangladesh declared at 595 for eight, their second highest total, behind 638 against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2012-13. But, after Shakib became the seventh player to record a double-century and a duck in the same Test, it would also become the highest innings to result in defeat.

Wagner plugged away with short stuff for four wickets, then Latham led the battle for parity with 177. Williamson, Nicholls and Santner - with a Test-best 73 - gave support. As New Zealand built to 539, Imrul took five catches deputising for Mushfiqur, a record for a substitute keeper; after his own injury, he did not reprise the role in the second innings. Sabbir Rahman was pressed into service, but was helpless as Bangladesh slid to a demoralising defeat.
Man of the Match: T. W. M. Latham.