Cricket: Taylor rues missed opportunity

Ross Taylor plans to make good for his horror innings end yesterday. Photo / Getty Images

DUNEDIN - Ross Taylor plans to atone for an unwanted test cricket career milestone - his first dismissal in the 90s - after New Zealand struggled to a post a par score on day one of the series opener against Pakistan yesterday.

Taylor's reaction said it all when he added to the list of unnecessary departures at University Oval yesterday, tossing his bat end over end after being snared at first slip for 94.

A fifth test century seemed likely in the final session, but instead Taylor's loose drive at offspinner Saeed Ajmal triggered a mini collapse that saw New Zealand drop three middle order wickets for 19 runs and gift Pakistan the ascendancy.

New Zealand resume on 276 for six today and will hope captain Daniel Vettori (40) and Brendon McCullum (25) can carry the score well past 300 before the tail is exposed.

Taylor top scored with a scratchy then smooth innings studded with 13 boundaries and a post-lunch that signalled his attacking intent.

However there was minimal satisfaction for New Zealand's pivotal strokemaker despite adding a face saving 117 for the third wicket with Martin Guptill.

"The goal of a batsman is to try and get to three figures. It's obviously disappointing, it was a poor shot in the end really," lamented Taylor.

Guptill's maiden test fifty also had a hollow feel about it after another ill-advised pull shot ended his 48.8 overs of toil at 60.

He skied a Mohammad Aamer short ball to square leg, an inexcusable end to a 142-ball innings that also showcased an array of sumptuous - and safe - cover drives.

Guptill seemed to be on cusp of a watershed innings after being missed twice on 26 but a compulsion to hook and pull bouncers continues to mar his six-test career.

"He's had a few starts so it was good for him to go on and get past 50 but I'm sure he'll be disappointed after doing all the hard work," Taylor said, adding: "Hopefully we can both kick on a bit more in the second innings."

Taylor arrived at the fall of Daniel Flynn's wicket when the score was 27 and initially struggled with his timing on a pitch offering variable bounce - an encouraging sign for New Zealand's pace attack.

"You're going to play and miss on that wicket, you just hope you don't nick it," Taylor said.

He felt the match was evenly poised heading into day two because Vettori and McCullum had added 65 for the seventh wicket although the wicketkeeper needed a reprieve two balls before stumps .

McCullum became the first batsman to successfully overturn his dismissal through the International Cricket Council's umpire decision review system (UDRS).

He was given out leg before wicket by Australian match official Simon Taufel but third umpire Rudi Koertzen said the decision should be reversed after consulting new ball-tracking technology.

"That last decision going our way helped us immensely," Taylor admitted.

"The partnership of Brendon and Daniel's probably put us back in the match a bit."

Mohammad Asif was the unlucky bowler - he also had a rejected LBW appeal against Taylor reviewed unsuccessfully.

Still, his first test in more than two years had its upside - three for 76 from 24 overs.

Injury and drug-related bans has sidelined the 26-year-old in recent years but he wasted little time getting into the groove, claiming Daniel Flynn in the opening session then Peter Fulton and Grant Elliott in successive overs a pproaching stumps.

"It's been a long time, it was hard," said Asif after his experience of test cricket since October 2007.

"I've just had a few domestic matches recently but it built my confidence and that showed."

- NZPA