Bangladesh have defied demanding conditions and a crippling injury toll to post a total of 289 in the first innings of the second Test against New Zealand.
Fielding a host of Test rookies, the tourists showed enough pluck to reach a competitive tally at a Hagley Oval ground where high scoring isn't common.
Makeshift opener Soumya Sarkar (86) and debut wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan (47) were among the standouts after Bangladesh were inserted.
While they never looked like matching the 8-595 (dec) achieved in the first Test loss in Wellington, it was a pugnacious effort.
The last Test at the ground was three months ago, when New Zealand and Pakistan failed to get past 200 in any innings.
Conditions on Friday were more forgiving although new ball pair Tim Southee (5-95) and Trent Boult (4-87) were able to generate ample early swing.
Soumya and Shakib Al Hasan (59) put on 127 off 25.3 overs for the third wicket to seize the initiative.
It was a maiden half-century for Soumya and the 20th in 45 Tests for the classy Shakib.
Eighteen-year-old Nazmul Hossain, playing just his 13th first class game, scored a patient 18 on debut.
He was one of seven players in the Bangladesh side to boast no more than three Test caps, the result of injuries which ruled out captain/wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim and batsmen Imrul Kayes and Mominul Haque.
Rubel Hussain appears to have joined the injured list. The recalled paceman suffered a nasty blow to his forearm off Boult but batted on to an unbeaten 16.
A busy Southee got through 28.3 impressive overs. His sixth career five-wicket bag lifts him within two scalps of becoming the fifth Kiwi to claim 200 Test scalps.
"If you can bowl a side out on day one then it's a pretty good effort," Southee said.
"They came out and looked to put any balls that we missed away to the fence, and they especially did that in that period before lunch.
"But we managed to crawl the run rate back, so yeah I think it's a good day."
Southee believes he has bowled better and was thankful wicketkeeper BJ Watling helped him "burgle" two wickets with leg-side catches.
No other New Zealand bowler-wicketkeeper combination have made more Test dismissals than Southee and Watling, their 44th success nudging them one clear of legendary combination Sir Richard Hadlee and Ian Smith.
