http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754: Visitors in control until tea
New Zealand were in trouble after Pakistan won the toss and put the home team into bat on the first day of the first Test match in Hamilton.
The home team had lost five wickets until tea with 160 runs on the board. Two young batsmen Kane Williamson and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Reece-Young-c2302 were unbeaten at the crease.
The home team was in trouble when opening batsman Tim McIntosh was dismissed early by Tanvir Ahmed. McIntosh had played well in the warm-up game and scored a half century against Pakistan but he was not able to perform on day one.
With the first wicket down for just nine runs, Brendon McCullum was joined by Martin Guptill at the crease. The pair took the team out of trouble as both scored half-centuries. After a solid 83-run partnership, McCullum was caught in the deep when he tried
to smash the ball over the point area.
New Zealand would have hoped that Ross http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Taylor-c92915 steady the innings but he was out early after scoring just six runs. Taylor tried to cut the ball close to his body and edged it into the hands of wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal.
Jesse Ryder looked solid and reached 22 runs in a 36-run partnership with Guptill. Ryder was at the non-striker’s end when the ball from a Guptill shot brushed Wahab Riaz’s hand before hitting the stumps and the batsman was found short of his crease.
The wicket of Guptill followed Ryder’s. The Kiwi team was struggling until tea but they would hope that their young players can cope up with the pressure and take the team out of trouble in the final session.
Pakistani bowlers showed a lot of discipline on day one of the match. Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman was the best amongst all bowlers as he picked up two important wickets. Both Umar Gul and Tanvir took one wicket each. Wahab was wicket-less but he was involved
in the important run out of Ryder.
Kiwi team will be hoping to play out all the overs on day one and score as much runs as possible. Pakistan batsmen are not comfortable in bouncy conditions and if the home team is able to post a decent first innings total, the men in green may find themselves
under pressure.
It will be interesting to see whether Pakistan are able to bowl out the Kiwis within 200 runs or not. If they do so, it will give them a psychological edge over their opponents.
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