Cricket: Wretched batting makes for grim day

Ross Taylor was New Zealand's highest scorer yesterday with 30. Photo / Getty Images

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When Imran Farhat gave his assessment of the situation at stumps on Thursday, he was greeted with muffled chuckles.

Pakistan were 161 for six but the little opener figured "250 would not be a bad score. We believe our bowling side is good".

The left-handed crystal ball gazer got it right in spades and last night it was Pakistan who were able to plan their push to a series-levelling victory at the Basin Reserve after a wretched display by New Zealand's batsmen.

Pakistan will start the third day today at 64 for two, leading overall by 229, having rolled New Zealand for just 99 in 36.5 overs.

Even if a couple of late Pakistan wickets lifted some of the dressing room gloom according to captain Dan Vettori, it was a grim day, especially after the rousing win in Dunedin last weekend. Yet they are still in the contest, providing the bowlers can yet again resurrect the situation.

"There is a lot of time left in the game. We've got to make sure we don't give it up now," Vettori said last night.

New Zealand's capitulation is not fresh territory. They have been here before down the years.

Much of the stroke selection was seriously sloppy against some impressive, conscientious bowling, chiefly from Mohammad Asif, with others chipping in.

Asif talked of "bowling in the corridor" and "if you bowl in the right area there was something happening".

New Zealand's bowlers need to find that something today.

The morning gave an early warning as Pakistan added 103 for the last four wickets, primarily thanks to chirpy wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal who hit a breezy 70. That binned New Zealand's plan to restrict Pakistan to 200.

In years to come readers of the New Zealand card will wonder if the pitch was dodgy (it was not) or that Pakistan's bowling was demonic (wrong again).

New Zealand were done in on a good batting pitch by bowlers who ran in hard and worked to a plan, helped immeasurably by collectively weak batting.

It was New Zealand's third lowest test total at the Basin in 50 tests, only behind the 42 and 54 double of New Zealand against Australia in 1946.

The last six wickets fell unbelievably for 14 runs in the space of 39 balls.

Pakistan seemed to sense that New Zealand's batting was a house of cards waiting for a breath of wind and pressed hard.

Of the first seven dismissals, six were down to shots of varying ineptitude. The exception was Daniel Flynn, who gamely battled to 29 in 2h 40 minutes without ever looking likely to take charge.

Flynn was also dropped before he had scored, Salman Butt at short leg resembling a drunk juggler as he tried five times to grasp the ball.

New Zealand's top half is in a hole, appear short of confidence and as a group do not hint at any permanency.

Even Ross Taylor, the best of them, got his lines wrong and unwisely shouldered arms to Umar Gul after counter-attacking his way, not entirely convincingly, to 30.

Later it was a procession as if the innings was on an icy slope and none of the batsmen had a pick.

Asif was on a hat-trick courtesy of a lazy, wide drive by Brendon McCullum, and took three wickets in 21 balls. Legspinner Danish Kaneria nabbed three in eight balls as the horror show gained pace.

Leaving a target of 400 would suit Pakistan, Asif reckoned. The pitch should be at its best for the next couple of days. It could yet be an intriguing battle, but New Zealand's batsmen need to find some self-belief and smarts for that to happen.

FLOPPING DISASTERS
* New Zealand's first innings 99 yesterday was the 22nd time the team have been dismissed for less than 100 in a test.
* It is the fifth such occasion against Pakistan, following 70 (Dacca, 1955), 73 (Lahore, 2002), 79 (Rawalpindi, 1965) and 93 (Hamilton, 1993).
* It is the lowest test total by New Zealand since they were rolled for 76 against Australia at Brisbane in 2004.