Saturday 5 December 2009

Pakistan Make Good Start After Setting NZ 405 To Win

Pakistan 264 & 239 (Mohammad Yousuf 83) v
New Zealand 99 & 70-3

Second Test, Wellington, day three

New Zealand closed day three of the second Test against Pakistan in Wellington on 70 for three having been set 405 to win.

After Pakistan resumed their second innings on 64 for two, a half-century from captain Mohammad Yousuf pushed their lead past 400 and they remained in control of the match with three New Zealand wickets before stumps.

Pakistan were bowled out for 264 in their first innings and then rolled New Zealand for 99 and although their last six second-innings wickets fell for just 29 runs, Yousuf's 83 and Umar Akmal's 52, allied with a useful 33 from Misbah-ul-Haq, put them well clear.

Seamers Chris Martin (4-52) and Iain O'Brien (4-66) inspired the collapse which kept New Zealand just about in the hunt, but they were quickly challenged by Mohammad Asif, who dismissed their top three batsmen before 40 runs had been scored.

Martin Guptill (15), Tim McIntosh (2) and Daniel Flynn (20) can play no further part in the run chase, leaving Ross Taylor unbeaten on 15 and Peter Fulton on 13 charged with mounting the most remarkable of recoveries - barring bad weather, the draw has now been taken out of the equation and Pakistan must be favourites to level the series 1-1 after New Zealand's 32-run win at Dunedin.

O'Brien later announced that he would be retiring from international cricket after the third and final Test in Napier to spend more time with his wife and start a family in England, where is set to play for Middlesex next summer.