Cricket: Vettori guides NZ to position of strength

Daniel Vettori. Photo / Getty Images

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Daniel Vettori was denied a fifth test century but achieved another cricketing milestone as the New Zealand captain's defiance and inclement weather combined to thwart Pakistan on day two of the series opener.

New Zealand were 404 for eight at the close of a day marred by showers and fading light meaning 54 overs were lost.

Vettori became the most prolific test runscorer batting at No 8 in the game's history -- though he cruelly missed notching a third century of a glorious year when he was dismissed for 99, two balls before bad light stopped play at University Oval.

Those interruptions and a crucial 164-run stand between Vettori and Brendon McCullum ensured New Zealand regained the ground conceded yesterday and with three days remaining they might now dictate terms.

Vettori and McCullum carried the side from a vulnerable 211 for six yesterday afternoon, teasing the Pakistanis by prolonging their partnership until the ball before lunch.

McCullum's defences were finally breached by an Umar Gul yorker when on 78 from 154 balls but by then any hope of Pakistan scything through the lower order was lost.

Vettori continued plugging away and when he drove a crisp boundary from the first ball he faced after spending more than three hours sheltering in the dressing room it seemed another century loomed.

However, as gloom enveloped the venue an attempted glide to third man off Gul was pouched by Kamral Akmal, leaving Vettori to instead become the eighth New Zealand batsman to be dismissed for 99.

He faced just 133 balls and stroked 14 boundaries.

Vettori and McCullum posted half centuries after surviving a brief though uncomfortable short-pitched barrage from Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer when New Zealand resumed on 276 for six.

Despite being hampered by a chronic left shoulder injury and a bruised right elbow, Vettori rarely flinched despite copping two nasty blows in Asif's third over of the morning when on 47.

He turned his back after misreading one short ball; the other cannoned off his bung shoulder onto his helmet grill.

McCullum was in the wars in the next over, on 40, when Aamer caught him flush on the helmet.

But the Pakistani attack lost impetus from that point as Mohammad Yousuf employed defensive field settings and the runs flowed relatively freely.

Vettori, unbeaten on 40 overnight, notched his fifty from 63 balls with his eighth boundary.

McCullum brought up the 100 partnership in the same expensive Aamer over and soon after completed his half century from 98 deliveries, also via his eighth boundary.

Vettori then overtook Shane Warne as the leading No 8 batsman in test cricket when reaching 87.

He has accumulated 2018 runs in that position at the remarkable average of 43.86, relegating the Australian's 2005 at 19.09.

The accolade follows his anointing as test cricket's most successful left arm spinner in Sri Lanka three months ago -- when he overtook Englishman Derek Underwood's haul of 297 wickets.

In the same series he became the eighth allrounder to achieve the rare 3000-run/300 wicket double.

His 21st test fifty was a continuation of a superb year with the bat that has featured forlorn centuries in Hamilton - 118 against India -- and a career-best 140 in Colombo.

McCullum was in awe of Vettori's contribution.

"He's got a lot on his plate and he's managing it incredibly well," he said.

"His ability to separate each role, each job ...I think he's doing it incredibly well. He's certainly leading from the front."

McCullum said while Vettori was satisfied with the team's overall position he was understandably disappointed "to miss out on what would have been a brilliant test hundred".

New Zealand may consider declaring if there is cloud cover tomorrow to give their pace attack every opportunity to back up Vettori's heroics.

"We've got a sizeable first innings total so if we bowl well, hopefully we'll give ourselves a real opportunity," McCullum said.

- NZPA