Cricket: Vettori hits ton but Pakistan still comfortable

Captain of the Blackcaps Daniel Vettori celebrates 100 runs during day two. Photo / Getty Images

There are few certainties with the New Zealand cricket team but a gambler would have backed Daniel Vettori to stand up when his team needed him most, and so the captain did on the second day of the second test against Pakistan at the Basin Reserve today.

Mr Reliable had not been so with the bat in recent times but, when his team needed a contribution to stay in the test series, he produced a classic Vettori innings of 110 as the hosts posted 356 in their first dig.

Pakistan are 134 for two in reply and still comfortable but without Vettori's knock, his sixth test century and third against Pakistan, New Zealand's chances of squaring the two-test series would have been all but gone by now.

Resuming today on 38, the captain passed 50 for the first time from 10 innings - he had averaged just 14.56 from his nine previous knocks at test level - and completely snapped out of a lean patch by soldiering on to a fourth test century in the past two years with a typically Vettori innings.

He was strong off the back foot, particularly backward of point, and he pushed down the ground nicely in a brilliant, chanceless rearguard action after the top order had let him down.

He had a few nervous moments, however, as he was on 96 when No 11 and noted batting bunny Chris Martin walked to the crease.

Martin did his job admirably, though, surviving four balls before Vettori, in his 104th test for New Zealand, brought up his ton with a single to fine leg.

He was last man out, caught on the midwicket boundary by Misbah-ul-Haq off the spinner, Abdur Rehman, after a 166-ball knock which included 10 fours and a six.

"I suppose people correlate form and runs, and if you haven't got the runs then you're out of form, but I think I've felt relatively good the whole way through, it just hasn't worked for me in the last four test matches, which is disappointing because I set pretty high standards," Vettori said.

Pakistan's reply started badly when Tim Southee had Mohammad Hafeez caught behind for two but Azhar Ali (62 not out) and Taufeeq Umar (70) steered the tourists out of trouble before Vettori pounced, claiming Umar's wicket with the last ball of the day after a fine catch low at second slip by Martin Guptill.

"It was a great catch and to be able to walk off the park with them two down and with a new batsman makes things a little easier, but we've got a big first session tomorrow," Vettori said.

"I think if we could keep them to around our score, that would be great."

New Zealand's bowlers toiled hard but it seemed as though they were chiselling with blunt instruments on such a good batting surface until Vettori struck to give the hosts renewed hope.

Umar could have departed on 34 when he was caught behind by wicketkeeper Reece Young, after four juggles, from Vettori's first over, but umpire Rod Tucker missed the inside edge. It was the sixth decision over the first two days that would have been overturned had the decision review system been in play, with New Zealand ahead 4-2 in those stakes.

New Zealand resumed this morning on a knife edge at 246 for six, but Vettori and Young took their seventh-wicket partnership through to 138 before Young was dismissed for 57 just before lunch when he handed wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal his sixth catch of the innings by edging a short wide ball from Tanvir Ahmed.

In just his third test innings, Young looked comfortable off both feet during a patient 162-ball stay, though he would have been disappointed at his method of dismissal.

Pakistan battled in the field with wind gusts of up to 90kmh, and they missed left-arm quick Wahab Riaz, who left the field feeling unwell. Rehman did most of the hard yards into the northerly gusts and completed his job superbly, ending with two for 96 from 45.1 overs.

Paceman Umar Gul finished with the best figures of the innings, four for 87 from 32 overs, while Ahmed ended with three for 93 from 25 as both right-armers worked hard in tough conditions.

Pakistan lead the two-match series 1-0.

New Zealand
First innings (overnight 246-6)

M Guptill c Akmal b Ahmed 29
B McCullum lbw b Gul 2
K Williamson c Akmal b Gul 21
R Taylor c Akmal b Riaz 78
J Ryder c Akmal b Ahmed 0
J Franklin c Akmal b Rehman 33
R Young c Akmal b Ahmed 57
D Vettori c ul-Haq b Rehman 110
T Southee c ul-Haq b Gul 1
B Arnel lbw b Gul 1
C Martin not out 4

Extras (7b, 1lb, 10w, 2nb) 20

Total (127.1 overs) 356
Fall: 3 (McCullum), 46 (Williamson), 98 (Guptill), 98 (Ryder), 166 (Franklin), 180 (Taylor), 318 (Young), 338 (Arnel), 356 (Vettori).
Bowling: U Gul 32-3-87-4 (1w), T Ahmed 25-5-93-3 (2w, 1nb), Y Khan 1-0-9-0, W Riaz 16-3-46-1 (3w), A Rehman 45.1-11-96-2 (1nb), M Hafeez 8-0-17-0.

Pakistan
First innings

T Umar c Guptill b Vettori 70
M Hafeez c Young b Southee 1
A Ali not out 62

Extras (1w) 1
Total (for 2 wkts, 50 overs) 134
Fall: 2 (Hafeez), 134 (Umar).
Bowling: C Martin 12-3-24-1 (1w), T Southee 11-3-37-1, B Arnel 8-1-24-0, J Franklin 5-1-21-0, D Vettori 12.5-1-28-1, M Guptill 1-1-0-0.

- NZPA