Cricket: Bond puts NZ in command

In a space of 10 balls, Shane Bond reminded New Zealand of what it had missed during his Indian Cricket League-induced absence. Photo / Getty Images

DUNEDIN - Shane Bond and Umar Akmal, the ageing but indefatigable warrior and the precocious teenager; take your pick for the outstanding performer at University Oval yesterday.

By mid-afternoon of day three, New Zealand speedster Bond's name was writ large over proceedings; by stumps Pakistan's newest batting star had joined, if not overshadowed, him on centre stage with a sizzling century on his test debut to significantly improve his team's position from a parlous 85 for five.

But New Zealand will start today firmly in charge, with the tourists on 307 for eight, still 122 behind.

Where Bond, 34, and in his first test since November 2007 - he missed 20 between then and now - was the compelling figure through the hour after lunch, the 19-year-old from Lahore spent the rest of the afternoon boldly trying to redress the balance.

He was joined by his older brother Kamran Akmal with Pakistan reeling after Bond's rip-snorting burst through the tourists' middle order.

In the space of 10 balls, Bond reminded New Zealand of what it had missed during his Indian Cricket League-induced absence.

Working his pace up above 150km/h, he removed captain Mohammad Yousuf to a splendid caught and bowled - sprawling forward to clutch a firmly struck shot, reminiscent of his wonderful and often-replayed effort to dismiss Australian Cameron White in an ODI in Wellington two years ago - found the edge of Fawad Alam's bat and induced a wretched jab on to his stumps from Shoaib Malik.

"You had to make a conscious effort to run in and bowl aggressively on that wicket, that's all it was," Bond said last night. "Sometimes you leak a few runs doing that but you give yourself the best chance of taking wickets.

"Things went my way in that spell, they didn't in others but overall it was a pretty good day for me."

But Umar cracked his first ball in tests to the backward point boundary and never looked back.

He had a double scare on 15 when Bond caught him in two minds but the ball popped up short of the incoming slips; then Daniel Flynn spilled a hard, low chance at gully two balls later.

After that it was one-way traffic as the brothers put on an exhilarating 176 at a merry clip.

There were some special moments, including Umar spanking Bond for three fours in one over among them.

His eye is clearly keen and brother Kamran, after a more cautious start, seemed to feed off Umar's confident approach.

New Zealand's bowlers, who had bowled smartly and on a decent length and line earlier in the innings, were often powerless, and the contest at times appeared a souped-up net session for the young man, so easily did he toy with the bowling.

Kamran caught his brother in the 80s before Umar went to his century in fabulous fashion.

From 87, he clubbed the labouring Iain O'Brien for 4, 6, 4 in the space of four balls all to wide long on, leaped in delight, kneeled and bowed to Mecca and hugged his brother.

He is the 11th Pakistani to hit a century on debut, the most famous being the great Javed Miandad, so he's in strong company.

"It was my dream to get 100 on my debut," Umar said last night.

"He's a very exciting cricketer," coach Intikhab Alam added. No arguments there.

The late tumble of wickets as shadows stretched across the ground confirmed it as New Zealand's day - but in a gloriously individual way it belonged to Umar Akmal, too.

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND

First innings (404-8 overnight)

T McIntosh b Aamer 0

M Guptill c Alam b Aamer 60

D Flynn c K Akmal b Asif 8

R Taylor c Farhat b Ajmal 94

P Fulton b Asif 29

G Elliott c K Akmal b Asif 8

B McCullum b Gul 78

D Vettori c K Akmal b Gul 99

S Bond c K Akmal b Asif 22

I O'Brien not out 13

C Martin lbw b Ajmal 0

Extras (14lb 1w 3nb) 18

--Total (all out, 131.5 overs) 429

Fall: 0, 27, 144, 192, 210, 211, 375, 402, 428, 429.

Bowling: M Aamer 24-3-87-2, M Asif 34-6-108-4, U Gul 36-10-129-2(3nb 1w), S Ajmal 37.5-10-91-2

PAKISTAN

First innings

K Manzoor b Martin 6

I Farhat lbw b Martin 22

F Alam c McCullum b Bond 29

M Yousuf c and b Bond 17

U Akmal c Fulton b Bond 129

S Malik b Bond 2

K Akmal c Taylor b Vettori 82

M Aamer not out 12

U Gul lbw b Vettori 6

M Asif not out 0

Extras (2nb) 2

--Total (for 8 wkts, 90 overs) 307

Fall: 11, 43, 74, 79, 85, 261, 293, 302.

Bowling: S Bond 24-4-93-4, C Martin 18-7-52-2 (2nb), I O'Brien 21-3-98-0, D Vettori 27-7-64-2