Cricket: New Zealand XI stay on top of Pakistan

Tim Southee finished on 21 not out. Photo / Christine Cornege

A shadow New Zealand test cricket team continued to tick all the right boxes against Pakistan in Whangarei today.

A New Zealand 11, containing many of the players sure to feature in the first test starting at Hamilton on Friday, were again in a productive mood on the second day of the three-day tour match at Cobham Oval.

Opener Brendon McCullum starred yesterday by making 206, and today it was the turn of evergreen fast bowler Chris Martin to rattle Pakistan's cage as they were reduced to 234 for eight in response to the home side's first innings of 384.

Martin, 36 and in his first meaningful match since the test segment of the tour of India ended in November, sliced through the Pakistani top order as he made the new ball talk before ending the day with figures of three for 42 off 14 overs.

Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar and Younis Khan were all dispatched at minimal cost by Martin, who induced three edges behind to wicketkeeper Reece Young, as the tourists teetered at 22 for three inside seven overs before Misbah ul-haq initiated a fightback to end the day one run short of his 33rd first-class century.

Misbah, another 36-year-old who has been unable to hold down a test spot, should have done enough to warrant selection for the first of two tests against New Zealand as he made 99 not out over 275 minutes, helping himself to 10 fours and three sixes.

He was supported by wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, who hit a breezy 35 as the two put on 57 for the sixth wicket before left-arm seamer James Franklin trapped him leg before wicket.

Despite Martin's early flurry of activity, the New Zealand 11`s most impressive bowler was left-arm spinner Dan Vettori, who demanded respect as he wheeled down 16 tight overs to bag figures of three for 26.

Earlier, the New Zealanders did not kick on after resuming on 342 for four, adding only an additional 42 runs as the middle and lower order failed to capitalise on McCullum's first day heroics.

Pace bowler Sohail Tanvir took four of the wickets to fall today to record his team's best figures of four for 63 while Umar Gul claimed three for 61.

- NZPA