New Zealand v Bangladesh, 2016-17

	New Zealand's Colin de Grandhomme and Tom Latham walk back after securing a nine-wicket win in the second Test to take the Test series 2-0 © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Match reports : New Zealand v Bangladesh, 2016-17 Series/Tournaments: Bangladesh tour of New Zealand Teams: Bangladesh | New Zealand

One-day internationals (3): New Zealand 3, Bangladesh 0
Twenty20 internationals (3): New Zealand 3, Bangladesh 0
Tests (2): New Zealand 2, Bangladesh 0

Bangladesh were flying high after their maiden Test victory over England in October, while New Zealand had just been trounced in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy by Australia. Yet whenever Bangladesh seemed set to turn a promising performance into victory, self-belief evaporated. They crumbled in both the second one-day international and the final Twenty20. Then came the First Test at Wellington, which broke Bangladeshi hearts, as well as records: Shakib Al Hasan hit a national-best 217, but their 595 for eight became the highest total to result in defeat.

In mitigation, they were shredded by injuries. The two captains - Mushfiqur Rahim and Mashrafe bin Mortaza - and experienced batsmen Imrul Kayes and Mominul Haque all missed games, and just four Bangladeshis began the Second Test with more than three caps. There were outstanding individual performances: Shakib finished with 170 more runs and nine more wickets than any of his team-mates, and Soumya Sarkar, who had batted no higher than No. 6 in his previous five Test innings, made 86 and 36 as an opener at Christchurch. But they could not swing the results.

New Zealand were not at their best, but their tenacity made up for it, and they ended up winning all eight internationals. Most of the senior players delivered, and fine cameos in the shorter formats came from less-established names, such as Neil Broom and Lockie Ferguson. The timing of the tour posed a problem for New Zealand Cricket, as it competed for local interest with Australia's burgeoning Big Bash. NZC need a successful national team, to bring in the sponsors and television deals that fund development programmes and competitions. So the presence just across the Tasman of the BBL - with all its televisual magnetism - was disconcerting.

The administrators had mostly kept a lid on any conflict by granting players no-objection certificates to take part in global Twenty20 leagues. But, as the Bangladesh series struggled for an audience, debate turned to whether that agreement could continue. After eye surgery, Ross Taylor had been left out of the limited-overs squads, but showed good form for Central Districts the domestic T20 competition. With time ahead of the Tests, he applied for permission to play for Melbourne Renegades in the BBL. Coach Mike Hesson gave his blessing, but NZC chief executive David White blocked the move, citing a rule which limits players' travel before games. Taylor later found he had a slight side strain, which would have prevented his playing for the Renegades anyway, but he barely disguised his annoyance. He hit two fifties in the Tests, confirming his sight was clear, even if his future was less so.

Match reports for

Tour Match: New Zealand XI v Bangladeshis at Whangarei, Dec 22, 2016
Report | Scorecard

1st ODI: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Christchurch, Dec 26, 2016
Report | Scorecard

2nd ODI: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Nelson, Dec 29, 2016
Report | Scorecard

3rd ODI: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Nelson, Dec 31, 2016
Report | Scorecard

1st T20I: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Napier, Jan 3, 2017
Report | Scorecard

2nd T20I: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Mount Maunganui, Jan 6, 2017
Report | Scorecard

3rd T20I: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Mount Maunganui, Jan 8, 2017
Report | Scorecard

1st Test: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Wellington, Jan 12-16, 2017
Report | Scorecard

2nd Test: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Christchurch, Jan 20-23, 2017
Report | Scorecard