Cricket: Black Caps pummelled by Pakistan

Ross Taylor and Daniel Vettori of the Black Caps walk off after losing to Pakistan by 10 wickets. Photo / Getty Images

Pakistan bowled out New Zealand for just 110 runs and claimed a 10-wicket win in the first test Sunday, beating the home side inside three days.

Pakistan led by 92 runs on first innings, then destroyed New Zealand's batting lineup in just three hours, taking eight wickets before the hosts had even erased the deficit, including a spell of four wickets for one run as the Black Caps' middle order crumbled.

Pakistan then passed its target of 19 runs without losing a wicket.

Stand-in spinner Abdur Rehman took 3-24 to complete match figures of 6-75 which complemented his important contribution of 28 with the bat, and was named man of the match. Rehman only won selection in the absence of regular spinner Saeed Ajmal who returned to Pakistan mid-week after the death of his father.

Wahab Riaz took 3-38 to join in the destruction of the New Zealand top-order and Umar Gul 3-28 to mop up the tail.

Pakistan openers Taufeeq Umar made 12 and Mohammad Hafeez 9 to ease to victory in 15 minutes, bringing up the winning runs with a four.

The win may be a rallying points for a new-look Pakistan team, which contained in Gul only one player from the series in New Zealand 12th months ago. It might also be a tonic to Pakistan cricket, ailing in the face of match-fixing allegations and internal disputes.

The heavy defeat is likely to heighten a sense of crisis in New Zealand cricket, already in the middle of a near-record run of 11-straight losses in one-day games. That losing streak prompted the appointment of John Wright as national coach, and the removal of Mark Greatbatch, days before the start of the current series.

It resulted also in the removal of Daniel Vettori as a national selector. Vettori's performance might be further scrutinized after Sunday's loss: under his captaincy and since the retirement of Stephen Fleming, New Zealand has dropped to eighth place on both test and one-day world rankings.

While Rehman took six wickets with subtle variations of pace and flight, Vettori as New Zealand's left-arm spinner took none. The Black Caps' skipper was suffering from a mysterious illness that had sapped him of energy. The results of blood tests were expected in coming days.

New Zealand's batting also suffered from the lack of discipline and application which has been the team's recent hallmark. Openers Brendon McCullum guided New Zealand to 33 without loss at tea but McIntosh (3) was out at 36, McCullum (35) at 44 and its next eight wickets fell for 66 runs.

The worst period for New Zealand came when the cream of its batting -- Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson and Vettori -- fell in the space of five overs and for the addition of one run.

Ryder (0) was trapped lbw by Riaz, Taylor (8) needlessly run out, Williamson (1) caught in the deep off Riaz and Vettori (3) dismissed lbw by Rehman. Tailender Tim Southee, who made 56 in the first innings, was the next-best batsmen after McCullum with 17.

Pakistan was propelled to its first innings lead by three significant partnerships, two of which played out on the third day. Taufeeq and Azhar Ali combined to add 72 for the second wicket on Saturday after the tourists had lost their first wicket to the fourth ball of the first over.

Misbah ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq then played the domineering role, adding 149 for the fifth wicket in a partnership that straddled the second and third days.

The pair took Pakistan to 235-4 at stumps on the second day, after it had been 107-4, and continued to lead their team toward parity until both fell on successive balls with the total on 256.

Shafiq was out for 83 having batted four minutes shy of four hours and hit 14 fours.

Adnan Akmal and Rehman then formed the third key partnership of the innings. They managed to see off the second new ball and to carry Pakistan to a comfortable lead before they also fell at the same score.

Akmal was caught by Jesse Ryder off Southee for 44 and Rehman bowled by Arnel five balls later, leaving Pakistan 332-8, a lead of 57. Umar Gul and Tanvir Ahmed then made rapid contributions to help add 35 for the last two wickets.

- AP