WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) Tom Latham was out for 177 and Henry Nicholls made a slow but timely half century as New Zealand edged past the follow on mark before lunch Sunday on the fourth day of the first cricket test against Bangladesh.
Latham eclipsed his previous test best of 137 before falling five minutes from the lunch break and Nicholls might have saved his place in the New Zealand middle order with 53, his third half century in tests.
New Zealand was 402-6 at lunch, having crept passed the follow on mark of 395 in the 110th over of its innings, 10 minutes before the break.
Bangladesh still retained the upper hand in the match, taking three wickets late in the morning session as New Zealand replied to its record-breaking first innings of 595-8, achieved after it lost the toss.
Spinner Shakib Al Hasan captured two of the three wickets that fell in the session, dismissing Latham for the highest score by a New Zealand opening batsman at the Basin Reserve and then Nicholls. Subashis Roy claimed his first test wicket when he dismissed Colin de Grandhomme for 14.
Wicketkeeper B.J. Watling was 16 not out and allrounder Mitchell Santer 3 not out at lunch.
The first half of the session belonged to Latham who made steady progress to reach his highest test total, despite the arrival of the second new ball in only the fourth over of the day. He raised his 100 partnership with Nicholls, who played a quiet support role, in 127 minutes from 200 deliveries.
Latham's first 150 in tests came up in 381 minutes, from 268 balls and as he beat his previous best score, made against Pakistan, he also surpassed John Wright's record for the highest score by a New Zealand opener in Wellington.
Nicholls had played a patient, even arduous innings, reaching his half century in 151 minutes from 116 balls with five boundaries.
He fell when he was caught at leg slip by Mehedi Hasan from Shakib's bowling when New Zealand was 347, having improved his average in 10 tests to 26.
De Grandhomme batted with obvious intent, hitting Subashis for a four and a six before edging a catch to wicketkeeper Imrul Kayes. It was the third catch of the innings for Imrul, who is standing in for regular wicketkeeper and captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who has a finger injury.
Latham offered only one sharp chance in the morning session - an edge which flew past Mehedi at slip - before he was trapped lbw by Shakib two overs before lunch. He was beaten by a drifting delivery as he knelt to sweep, ending his innings after 463 minutes at the crease.
