Cricket: Vettori, Martin lead NZ fightback

Chris Martin celebrates trapping Pakistan's Misbah-ul-Haq LBW for 99. Photo / Getty Images

If the weather behaves the second cricket test between New Zealand and Pakistan may yet have an intriguing end, and the hosts have their captain Daniel Vettori and pace bowling spearhead Chris Martin to thank for it.

The odds of a draw remain high, particularly with heavy rain and galeforce northerlies forecast for tomorrow afternoon and more rain expected on Wednesday, but New Zealand kept their heads above water with a gritty bowling effort on the third day at the Basin Reserve here today.

Pakistan threatened to bat New Zealand out of the game midway through the day but Vettori and Martin bagged four wickets apiece to restrict the visitors to 376 in reply to the hosts' 356.

New Zealand negotiated five overs before stumps to be nine without loss in their second innings, trailing by just 11 runs with two days to play and the bowlers coming into the game on a pitch which is starting to show signs of wear and tear.

"I suppose the amount of turn that is happening at the moment is a good thing and there will definitely be some uncomfortable moments later in the game. I'm glad we are not batting last on it," Martin said after taking four for 91 from 32 overs.

"It will be something we need to think about tomorrow, get some runs on the board and see how we go."

Pakistan had been cruising at 286 for three just before tea but Vettori struck a vital blow with the last ball before the break and New Zealand proceeded to take the last seven wickets for 90 runs, dragging themselves back into the match and the two-test series which Pakistan lead 1-0.

The visiting captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, had shared in a 142-run stand for the fourth wicket with Younis Khan, who made 73, but the latter's dismissal was a key moment when he was incorrectly given out by umpire Rod Tucker on the stroke of tea.

Having missed the ball and watched it thud into his pads, Khan raised his head to see Tucker adjudge him caught at short leg by Jesse Ryder off Vettori's bowling.

It was the seventh decision that would have been overturned had the decision review system been in use, with New Zealand now ahead 5-2 in those stakes.

"It's the nature of the game, the umpires are human. You can't blame anyone for the decision," said Khan, who felt the game was evenly poised on what he described as a slow pitch that still had plenty of runs in it if the batsmen played sensibly.

Misbah led the way with a defiant 99, falling agonisingly short of his third test century after a 207-ball innings that lasted a tick over five hours, but he was one of Martin's victims after the veteran pace bowler trapped him leg before wicket.

New Zealand will be pleased with their fightback in the third session, with Vettori rewarded for a day's toil into the wind with the outstanding figures of four for 100 from 47 overs, while Martin charged in hard and thoroughly deserved his haul.

"The way we felt we had bowled maybe deserved a session like that," Martin said.

"We kept our focus, kept our lines and kept our disciplines and I think sometimes you feel like it's going to come and it's going to come quickly, and it definitely did in that last session."

In an intriguing sideshow, the pair went toe to toe for the record of being highest test wicket-taker at the Basin Reserve.

Martin equalled Sir Richard Hadlee's tally of 53 with his first wicket, before Vettori joined them on that number with his second scalp of the innings and then took the lead himself with his 54th and 55th wickets at the ground, before Martin got stuck into the tail to end the innings with 56 wickets, one ahead of his captain.

Hadlee took his wickets from 12 tests here, while Martin is in his 13th and Vettori his 20th.

"It's temporary, I think," Martin, 36, said.

"I think Dan and I will exchange that while I'm around but he'll grab it at the end."

There had been little to get excited about before the final session, aside from a plastic sword-bearing streaker soon after lunch.

Misbah and Khan produced classic test innings and did exactly what was required of them by batting time and wearing down the New Zealand bowlers, who were demanding without being dangerous until they got the vital breakthrough of Khan.

Vettori and Martin ran the show from there to give their team hope.

- NZPA