WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — A patient Tom Latham carved out his sixth century to keep New Zealand afloat as they moved closer to avoiding a follow on against a rampant Bangladesh after three days of the first Test in Wellington.

While the left-handed opener calmly went about his work at the Basin Reserve yesterday, Bangladesh removed senior batsmen Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor after declaring early in the day at an imposing 595-8.

At stumps, New Zealand were 292-3, still 303 runs behind, with Latham on 119 and Henry Nicholls on 35.

Taylor said New Zealand needed the 24-year-old Latham in the middle, with the new ball due in three overs and the follow on mark 104 runs away.

“His job’s not done yet. We need him to go big tomorrow and obviously try and get that follow on,” Taylor said.

As the strong northerly winds that caused havoc on day one returned in the afternoon session Saturday, Latham had taken a leaf out of the Bangladesh playbook and carefully chose the moments to punish the bowling.

With the pitch offering little, Williamson and Taylor were guilty of getting a start and then yielding their wickets unnecessarily with two days to play and a draw the most likely outcome if New Zealand do not crash.

After Jeet Raval fell for 27, Williamson comfortably batted at a run-a-ball until he reached 53 and dabbed outside off stump to be caught behind and give Taskin Ahmed his maiden wicket on debut.

Taylor, in his first international following eye surgery at the end of November and needing one more century to equal the New Zealand record of 17 held by the late Martin Crowe, charged into his work.

But on 40 he fell for a well-prepared trap and pulled a short delivery from Kamrul Islam to Mahmudullah, poised for the catch on the square-leg boundary.

Latham remained unruffled, facing 222 deliveries in his five and a half hours at the crease.

After resuming the day at 542-7, Bangladesh continued long enough for Sabbir Rahman to become their fifth player to pass the half-century mark in an innings headlined by Shakib Al Hasan’s 217.

Scoreboard

Bangladesh first innings (overnight 542-7)

Tamim Iqbal lbw Boult 56

Imrul Kayes c Boult b Southee 1

Mominul Haque c Watling b Southee 64

Mahmudullah c Watling b Wagner 26

Shakib Al Hasan b Wagner 217

Mushfiqur Rahim c Watling b Boult 159

Sabbir Rahman not out 54

Mehedi Hasan c Southee b Wagner 0

Taskin Ahmed c Southee b Wagner 3

Kamrul Islam not out 6

Extras (b2, lb6, nb1) 9

Total (eight wickets dec; 152 overs) 595

Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Imrul), 2-60 (Tamim), 3-145 (Mahmudullah), 4-160 (Mominul), 5-519 (Mushfiqur), 6-536 (Shakib), 7-542 (Mehedi), 8-566 (Taskin)

Did not bat: Subashis Roy

Bowling: Boult 34-5-131-2, Southee 34-5-158-2, de Grandhomme 20-2-65-0, Wagner 44-8-151-4 (1nb), Santner 17-2-62-0, Williamson 3-0-20-0

New Zealand 1st innings

J Raval c Imrul Kayes b Kamrul Islam 27

T Latham not out 119

K Williamson c Imrul Kayes b Taskin Ahmed 53

R Taylor c Mahmudullah b Kamrul Islam 40

H Nicholls not out 35

Extras (b1, lb1, wd15, nb1) 18

Total (three wickets; 77.0 overs) 292

Fall of wickets: 1-54 (Raval), 2-131 (Williamson), 3-205 (Taylor)

Bowling: Mehedi 26-4-82-0, Subashis 16-4-46-0 (1nb), Taskin 15-2-79-1 (2w), Kamrul 13-2-53-2 (1w), Shakib 7-0-30-0

Toss: New Zealand

Umpires: Marais Erasmus (RSA), Paul Reiffel (AUS)

Third umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG)

Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)