Cricket: Martin honing edge for first test

Chris Martin celebrates adding Azhar Ali's scalp to his quickly compiled collection of top-order Pakistani wickets. Photo / Getty Images

Chris Martin and Misbah-ul-Haq could have sat down last night, chewed the fat and come to the conclusion they'd both had a decent day at Cobham Oval yesterday.

New Zealand's senior seamer Martin found his ability to swing the new ball remains intact ahead of this week's first test against Pakistan, while the tourists' veteran captain Misbah also warmed up for the test in satisfying fashion.

Pakistan will start the final day of their warmup game at 234 for eight, 150 behind the New Zealand XI's first innings.

Misbah will walk out today on 99, the standout contribution of a messy Pakistan effort in which other frontline batsmen failed to grab their opportunity in good batting conditions.

They can thank Martin for that, as he whipped the top off the innings to reduce Pakistan to 22 for three before lunch.

Martin had a couple of objectives to get out of this game and is pretty happy.

His only cricket since returning from the three tests in India in November has been a handful of HRV Cup T20 games for Auckland, which is hardly like for like. "It's always hard when you haven't played for a while," Martin said last night.

"It was a good workout, knowing I had it there with the new ball when I needed it. As far as the rest of the day went, the best thing about it is knowing you can look at it constructively as all part of the process."

Martin said spending time on the feet was important, "bowling when you're a little bit stiffer than normal, and some of the things you can't do unless you're playing a lot of cricket. A lot of what we're going through is shared by both teams at the moment".

Both teams got back into the rhythms of playing longer-form cricket in this game. The running into position between overs and hectic mindset of the limited-over games has been distinctly absent in the past couple of days. The tread has been more measured.

But Pakistan's bowlers looked more up for it yesterday morning after an average effort on Sunday.

They got three wickets in 10 balls early and whippy left-armer Sohail Tanvir sliced through the last three wickets in 14 balls. Then Martin stepped forward, and found edges against Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar and Younis Khan in double quick time.

Had Misbah been given lbw on 0 to Martin, and it was a loud shout, things may have been significantly different.

If test preparation was the only thing which mattered, No 3 batsman Azhar Ali at least spent an hour in the middle, and there were support contributions from little wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, who showed he could be handy in the tests with 35 off 31 balls; Abdur Rehman and finally Umar Gul, who has previous form with the bat and would rank among the more capable No 8 or 9 batsmen in the game.

Once Misbah got moving he played some handsome strokes. He drove tidily, and put three sixes over the rope.

Misbah, the latest in a line of Pakistani captains of late, arrived for the tests in good form. He batted for four and a half hours and mixed graft with touches of elegance. It will have done him the world of good.

The luckless Brent Arnel toiled diligently and should have had Asad Shafiq caught at slip by James Franklin. Trent Boult and Franklin had their moments; Tim Southee had a lively first spell.

But it was the senior men, Martin and Dan Vettori, another who will benefit from a pre-test blowout, who shared most of the spoils.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand XI
First innings 384

Pakistan
First innings 8-234