Pakistan’s first innings lead of 20 runs thanks to a sheet anchor’s innings of 99 by captain Misbah ul Haq, on the 3rd day of the Basin Reserve Test had meant that the test match was fast approaching a thrilling finale. New Zealand had managed
not to lose a wicket in the 5 overs they had faced at the end of day 3, which would have given them a lot of encouragement, but it must have been in their minds that they would need to bat out the 4th day to have any chance of saving the match or
maybe an outside one of winning it.
Pakistan must have started the 4th day in Wellington knowing that if their mercurial bowlers clicked they could wrap-up New Zealand’s batting line in just a session. The start of the day though belonged solely to the hosts. The Pakistani fast
bowlers again showed their inability to maintain decent lines and lengths for protracted periods of time, something which the two openers Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill were quick to cash in on. The Pakistani cause was also not helped by Misbah ul Haq’s
readiness to set defensive fields in the face of the Kiwi attack. The opening partnership had quickly progressed to 50 by the 17th over and to 100 by the 27th over, and McCullum in the mean time had raced to his 50 off 76 balls.
The captain then had to go for the left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman who series settled quickly into a nice rhythm. He almost instantly got Guptill to edge one, a chance that was wasted because the captain had removed the man from silly point after a drive from
Guptill previously. McCullum was then dropped in the same region by Asad Shafiq as Abdur Rehman continued to trouble both the opening batsmen.
After lunch too, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 continued their wretched fielding as Gul who had previously rattled Guptill with a thump on the helmet, got him to edge an away going delivery, but the chance was this time grassed by keeper Adnan Akmal. Pakistan finally got the
prize wicket of McCullum, when he holed out at long-off for 64 off Abdur Rehman. Kane Williamson, although he did feature in a useful 46-run partnership with Guptill, who at the other end was being troubled consistently by the pace and bounce of Wahab Riaz,
never looked likely to get going. He was eventually caught behind attempting to drive Tanvir Ahmed, for 15.
Abdur Rehman returned to trap Guptill lbw for 73 on the same total, and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 again looked to be on the verge of a terrific collapse. Things were steadied by Taylor and the hard-hitting Jesse Ryder, but not for long, as Ryder was cleaned up by a very
under-utilized Mohammad Hafeez for 17. James Franklin too, could not prolong his stay at the wicket as he became Hafeez’s second wicket, edging one to Younis at slip. Hafeez was proving to be almost unplayable, and had even Taylor worried, and should have
had Reece Young back in the pavilion too had it not been for Asad Shafiq dropping another catch at short leg.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Reece-Young-c2302
lent him good support at the other end. Young was eventually cleaned up after a dogged innings of 20 when Rehman had him brilliantly caught by Azhar Ali with the score at 268. New Zealand again lost two batsmen on the same score as Taylor followed his partner
for 52, getting trapped in front of the stumps by a reverse-swinging Umar Gul delivery. Gul it seemed had finally found some rhythm, as he then bowled a beautiful yorker that smashed into Daniel Vettori’s stumps to send him back to the hut for just 1. After
that it was just a matter of time and some lusty hits by Southee who remained not out on 22, before Umar Gul wrapped up the tail, ending with 4 wickets to his name.
The spinners’ determination Gul’s fantastic spell meant that New Zealand were bowled out for 293, setting Pakistan a gettable target of 274, and setting up a thrilling final day at http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wellington-c864.
Tags: