Cricket: NZ give advantage to Pakistan

Ross Taylor was kicking himself after ending up six short of what would have been his third test century in eight innings yesterday. Photo / Getty Images

Things were ambling along towards an even-stevens type of opening day to the test summer until New Zealand developed the staggers of a late night drunk in the final session.

In that period, a decent 192 for three descended to 211 for six, handing Pakistan the initiative at University Oval - even allowing for some late-day pugnacity from captain and vice-captain Dan Vettori and Brendon McCullum, which partly redressed the balance.

After a day in which the new umpiring review system was required twice, New Zealand will start this morning on 276 for six, keenly aware they should have been substantially better off; equally Pakistan might argue they could have had a stronger grip on the match.

Pakistan - technically the hosts, as shown by their skipper Mohammad Yousuf tossing the coin for rival Dan Vettori to call, the first such occurrence on New Zealand soil - will want to clean up the New Zealand innings smartly; Vettori's men will need to do with the ball what they couldn't with the bat to stay in the test.

Vettori's pre-test call for an improved collective batting effort fell on deaf ears.

There were the familiar top-order woes, with Tim McIntosh and Daniel Flynn gone inside six overs, but both Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor will today be reflecting on lost opportunities. They added 117 to put some substance into New Zealand's innings with contrasting displays.

Guptill and Taylor had to work hard through to lunch as Pakistan's seamers, urged on by the constant "yabber" of encouragement from the fielders, bent their backs and were able to beat the bat often enough to keep their spirits up.

Guptill reached his first test 50 with a string of handsome drives, but had two pieces of luck, both at 26.

He should have been caught at first slip, had Imran Farhat not tried to catch the edge with his forehead. Then a hook flew through Umar Gul's fingers at fine leg for six.

Taylor knuckled down, his timing scratchy but concentration intact. He had only 12 off 48 balls before cutting loose, taking 18 off two overs from the parsimonious Gul and lifting offspinner Saeed Ajmal out of the ground at mid wicket.

His sixth test 50 preceded the first umpiring review decision of the series. On 54, the demanding Mohammad Asif had an lbw appeal turned down by umpire Billy Doctrove. Pakistan appealed the decision but third official Rudi Koertzen upheld Doctrove's call.

Guptill threw away the possibility of a maiden hundred with a loose pull, spoiling three hours of graft.

Taylor followed shortly after tea, driving loosely at Ajmal to be caught at slip, and a sense of good work being thrown away grew, both personally and collectively.

Taylor fell six shy of what would have been his third test hundred in eight innings.

"To be very close but not close enough was obviously disappointing," Taylor said last night. "The shot I played [to get out] was poor.

"I felt okay but you were going to play and miss on that wicket occasionally. You just hope you don't nick it."

When Peter Fulton got an inside edge on to his stumps 10 overs later New Zealand's innings was in full wobble mode. It fell flat on its face when Grant Elliott's wretched test run continued, pushing out to edge Asif to the wicketkeeper. In six test innings he has yet to reach 10.

Vettori edged his first ball fractionally short of first slip. That would have opened up the tail, at which point things could have moved from a mess to freefall in double quick time. But Vettori is a man for these occasions, belting a rapid 40, with McCullum a handy lieutenant.

The wicketkeeper had a scare off the day's penultimate ball when given out lbw off Asif by umpire Simon Taufel. Vettori appealed and McCullum got a reprieve.