Captain's courageous knock ends NZ hopes

The contrasting fortunes of the two captains told the story of the final day as Pakistan won their first test cricket series since 2006 and New Zealand ended the summer without a test victory for the first time in 15 seasons.
New Zealand failed to gain traction against an unblinking Pakistan team on the fifth and final day of the second test at the Basin Reserve yesterday, Pakistan easing to a draw and a 1-0 series win after a 10-wicket victory in the first test at Hamilton.
When stumps were pulled, they were 226 for five chasing 274 for victory, captain Misbah-ul-Haq surviving more than five hours at the crease and facing 227 balls for an unbeaten 70, a stoic innings that may not have been pretty but is one he will remember for a long time.
"For the captain of the team to bat like that, that's why he deserved man of the match," Misbah's counterpart Daniel Vettori said.
The odds swung heavily in New Zealand's favour after they captured three wickets in the first hour yesterday, but Misbah and senior pro Younis Khan, who made 81, combined to frustrate the New Zealanders for three hours in a 118-run fourth-wicket stand that essentially sealed the series. They also put on 142 runs together in the first innings.
Asad Shafiq joined his skipper for the final session with 114 runs required to win from 32.2 overs, but a draw was as good as a win for the tourists and they did more than enough to earn it.
Shafiq fell leg before wicket to spinner Vettori for 24, but by then only eight overs remained and hope had faded for the hosts.
"It's pretty pleasing, we've been through some rough times but we've played some really good cricket in this series. We've been very disciplined," Pakistan coach Waqar Younis said.
"Full credit to Misbah and the boys, I think they all stuck to the task admirably."
Vettori was left to reflect on a four-wicket haul in Pakistan's first innings, a brilliant knock of 110 in New Zealand's first turn at bat, but ultimately a disappointing final day when it was set up for him to bowl his country to a rare test victory.
He created some concern for the batsmen in the morning, and could easily have had Khan leg before wicket without scoring, but he was unable to penetrate on a pitch offering some turn and ended the day with one for 57 from 34 overs.
New Zealand simply lacked the firepower and appeared to run out of ideas, highlighted by the fact that Martin Guptill and Jesse Ryder bowled five overs of offspin between them this afternoon.
"That was the key partnership, Misbah and Younis Khan," Vettori said. "They're pretty experienced players and they know their game pretty well. The wicket was good and we just couldn't get that breakthrough early enough. I think even when we got Younis out before tea there was a chance, but we just needed to keep getting those breakthroughs and we didn't get them."
It all began so well for the hosts, too, Chris Martin moving through to 199 test wickets as New Zealand enjoyed early success in the morning session.
Tim Southee struck with his first ball of the day, when he trapped Taufeeq Umar leg before wicket for a duck, before Martin wound into gear as Pakistan went to lunch at 81 for three.
Martin claimed his 198th test wicket when he had Azhar Ali leg before wicket for 10, and Mohammad Hafeez was on his way for 32 before the first hour was up when he edged Martin to Ross Taylor at first slip. That left Pakistan in dire straits at 42 for three, but Khan and Misbah saw them through to lunch without further damage carried on in the afternoon session.
The draw secured Pakistan their first series win since beating the West Indies 2-0 in 2006.NZPA