Bowlers put New Zealand in commanding position on day three

MOUNT MAUNGANUI-New Zealand bowlers headlined the action on day three at the Bay Oval after ending Pakistan’s resistance led by Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Rizwan.

An eventful final session saw New Zealand finishing the day on top after breaking the crucial 107-run partnership between Pakistan skipper Rizwan and Ashraf. The visitors managed to make 82 runs over 47 overs in the first two sessions and lost five wickets, posting 112/6 with a deficit of 319, at tea. From a position of hopelessness, with a follow-on looming, Pakistan were led by a late fightback form the lower middle-order.

Rizwan along with Ashraf put on a crucial century partnership to keep the tourists afloat. Together, they lifted the team’s total from 80/6 to 187/7 before a brilliant direct hit from Mitchell Santner ran the Pakistan skipper out for a well-made 71. Yasir Shah was cleaned up by a toe-crushing yorker from Trent Boult in the next over. Soon Pakistan were all out for 239, with Ashraf missing out on a hundred. He made a solid 91, his career-best score in the format. It was a tough start for Pakistan as they added just nine runs in the first 12 overs of the day, with Mohammad Abbas finally getting off the mark after 37 deliveries.

Jamieson then came into the attack and found a way through Abid Ali’s gate to get his and the Black Caps’ second wicket while Trent Boult found Abbas’ edge in the next over, only for it to squeeze past gully for four. However, Boult got his man just five balls later as Abbas nicked to Ross Taylor at first slip leaving the tourists reeling at 43/3. 

Azhar Ali and Haris Sohail tried to repair the innings but both perished within the space of four Tim Southee deliveries. First, Ali was given not out but the review showed he’d nicked it to BJ Watling, and before the over was done, Sohail edged one to Henry Nicholls at gully to leave Pakistan in all sorts of trouble at 52/5. 

The visitors headed into lunch at 62/5, having scored just 32 runs for the loss of four wickets in 26 overs in the opening session with Fawad Alam and skipper Mohammad Rizwan in the middle. It was a slow start to the second session until the rain interfered in the 52nd over and the play was interrupted for almost 20 minutes. Shortly after the delay, Pakistan lost another wicket. Neil Wagner’s short-ball did the job as Fawad Alam feathered it to Watling behind the wicket. 

Scorecard

NEW ZEALAND 1ST INNINGS: 431

PAKISTAN 1ST INNINGS:

S Masood c Watling b Jamieson 10

Abid Ali b Jamieson 25

M Abbas c Taylor b Boult 5

Azhar Ali c Watling b Southee 5

H Sohail c Nicholls b Southee 3

Fawad Alam c Watling b Wagner 9

M Rizwan run out 71

F Ashraf c Watling b Jamieson 91

Yasir Shah b Boult 4

Shaheen Afridi c Latham b Wagner 6

Naseem Shah not out 0

EXTRAS: (b 3, lb 4, nb 1, w 2) 10

TOTAL: (all out, 102.2 overs) 239

FOW: 1-28, 2-39, 3-43, 4-51, 5-52, 6-80, 7-187, 8-196, 9-235, 10-239. 

BOWLING: Tim Southee 26-7-69-2, Trent Boult 26-4-71-2, Kyle Jamieson 23.2-13-35-3, Neil Wagner 21-5-50-2, Mitchell Santner 6-2-7-0. 

TOSS: Pakistan

UMPIRES: C Gaffaney, W Knights

TV UMPIRE: Chris Brown