Neil Wagner's four-wicket haul highlights 12-wicket day
New Zealand 38 for 2 (Taylor 19*, Jayed 2-18) trail Bangladesh 211 (Tamim 74, Wagner 4-28, Boult 3-38) by 173 runs
Neil Wagner used the short ball to telling effect once again as New Zealand bowled Bangladesh out for 211, before Abu Jayed took two wickets in an impressive opening spell to even out the game for the visitors. They could have been in a stronger position at stumps had they built on the efforts of Tamim Iqbal, who made his third successive 50-plus score of the series, but a collapse from the solidity of 119 for 1 ensured they didn't post a particularly challenging first-innings total.
Until rain forced play to end at 5pm, the Basin Reserve saw a nearly full day's play, which was a welcome change after the first two days were washed out.
A good contest was developing when Tamim and Shadman Islam took on the New Zealand attack in the first hour, their shot-making defying the fear of everyone at the Basin Reserve that the lavishly grassed pitch would be overly helpful to the seamers. They put on 75, their third successive 50-plus stand of the series.
Bangladesh's confidence, however, gave way to carelessness. Shadman edged Colin de Grandhomme behind, before Neil Wagner removed Mominul Haque and Mohammad Mithun in almost identical circumstances in a 15-minute burst before lunch. Mominul survived a caught-behind decision via review, but fell next ball, caught behind down the leg-side. In Wagner's next over, the last one before lunch, Mithun successfully reviewed a caught-behind decision, and nicked the next ball, a shortish one angling away from him.
Tamim, who had been forceful at the other end with some excellent drives through the off side as well as pulls and cuts square of the wicket, fell nine balls into the second session, top-edged an attempted pull off Wagner. Soumya Sarkar got out playing a similar shot against a similar length, with Matt Henry, playing his first Test in more than a year, picking up the wicket.
Wagner then had Mahmudullah caught in two minds - between a pull and a flick - and caught at square-leg, to leave Liton Das, the last recognised batsman, shepherding a long tail. He added 38 for the seventh wicket with Taijul Islam but the rest folded quickly as the tea interval approached.
Post tea, Jayed had Tom Latham caught behind after a string of testing deliveries to the in-form left-hander, who made 161 in the Hamilton Test. Jeet Raval then spooned Jayed to cover to make it 8 for 2, before Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor batted out the remaining 3.1 overs before rain arrived.