Cricket: Vettori, McCullum lead Black Caps charge

Daniel Vettori. Photo / Getty Images

Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum denied Pakistan easy access to the New Zealand tail early on day two of the first cricket test at Dunedin today, both registering half centuries to frustrate the tourists.

The pair's dogged stand for the seventh wicket was finally ended the ball before lunch at University Oval when McCullum lost his middle stump to an Umar Gul yorker - belated reward after the pair added 168 for the seventh wicket.

At lunch New Zealand were 375 for seven, a drastic improvement from 211 for the six when McCullum and Vettori combined late yesterday.

Vettori, playing with a bung left shoulder and bruised right elbow, was unbeaten on 84 at the end of a session that saw New Zealand add 99 valuable runs.

McCullum, who had a reprieve through the umpire decision review system when originally given out leg before wicket to the penultimate ball yesterday, made the most of his good fortune by progressing smoothly from 25 as New Zealand improved from 276 for six.

Pakistan had their moments. Vettori and McCullum were both tickled up by short pitched deliveries during a hostile opening spell by paceman Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer.

The ever-dependable Vettori copped two body blows from Asif's third over - including one of his fragile left shoulder that cannoned on to his helmet grill when the captain was on 47.

In the next over by Aamer, McCullum was clunked flush on the helmet, an impact that required a brief medical check up.

Vettori, unbeaten on 40 overnight, was momentarily rattled by Asif's assault but recovered to notch a rapid 21st test 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 14th fifty from 98 deliveries, also via an eighth boundary.

Apart from Asif and Aamer's uncomfortable bumper barrage the Pakistan attack posed little threat, though McCullum edged aerially through the cordon where third slip should have been early on.

Needing a sound beginning after a middle order wobble yesterday evening, Vettori and McCullum clipped 53 runs during the first hour before Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf lapsed into a defensive mindset.

Vettori and McCullum's stand eclipsed the 117 produced for the third wicket between Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor - the first stage of New Zealand's recovery from a poor start.

- NZPA