CHITTAGONG, 30 October 2004 — Spinner Daniel Vettori starred in New Zealand’s biggest Test win as they beat Bangladesh by an innings and 101 runs at the M.A. Aziz Stadium here yesterday.

Vettori bagged the remaining two wickets as Bangladesh, overnight 210 for 8, were bowled out for 262 early on the fourth day. They were following on after conceding a 363-run first innings lead.

Vettori grabbed 6 for 100 for his 10th five-wicket effort in Tests after 6 for 70 in the first innings to take his haul to 20 in two Tests and clinch the man of the series award.

But the 25-year-old left-armer was denied registering his Test best by an aggressive Tapash Baisya, who clobbered 66 off just 47 balls with 10 fours and a six each off Vettori and off-spinner Paul Wiseman.

Vettori, whose best match-haul of 12 for 149 came against Australia in Auckland four years ago, had to be content with 12 for 170 as Baisya struck the spinners all over the ground for his second Test fifty.

Baisya, who had scored a half-century on debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo, had to wait three years for his second fifty.

But his cameo could not prevent New Zealand from bettering their previous biggest Test victory margin registered last week in Dhaka, where they won by an innings and 99 runs.

Baisya, 15 overnight, was stumped by Brendon McCullum off Vettori. Rafique (31) went a little earlier, caught by Matthew Sinclair at silly-point.

Vettori, who will lead during an upcoming One-Day series as captain Stephen Fleming goes back home to rest an abdomen injury, was happy with his bagful of wickets.

“A spinner is always expected to get wickets on the subcontinent and this pitch was ideal for spin bowling,” he said.

Fleming said they had gone all out in the series. “We wanted to prove our ability as a team which could adjust to different conditions. Our spinners bowled incredibly well and I am happy at the way the series went,” Fleming said.

Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Khaled Mashud praised Fleming for his 202, which earned him the man of the match award.

“We learned a lot from the way he batted. We are still in the learning process, but it was disappointing to see batting failures in both innings,” said Mashud, leading in the absence of an indisposed Habibul Bashar.

Bangladesh have lost all their four Tests to New Zealand by innings verdicts.

Their record since gaining Test status in 2000, stands at 29 losses in 32 matches with the remaining three drawn. The One-Day series commences here on Nov. 2 with Dhaka hosting the remaining two matches on Nov. 5 and 7.

Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar will return to the side for the One-Day series it was reported later.

Bangladesh — Habibul Bashar (captain), Rajin Saleh (vice-captain), Mohammad Ashraful, Javed Omar, Nafees Iqbal, Aftab Ahmed, Mushfiqur Rahman, Khaled Mahmud, Khaled Mashud, Mohammad Rafique, Manjural Islam Rana, Tapash Baisya, Nazmul Hossain.