Kyle Jamieson of New Zealand is congratulated by team mates after dismissing Haris Sohail of Pakistan during day one of the Second Test. Photo / Getty Images.
Kyle Jamieson of New Zealand is congratulated by team mates after dismissing Haris Sohail of Pakistan during day one of the Second Test. Photo / Getty Images.
Kyle Jamieson has put an early marker down for ball of the year and bowled New Zealand into a dominant position on the first day of the second test against Pakistan.
New Zealand won the toss and inserted Pakistan on a wicket that was expected to be helpful to seambowling.
However Pakistan recovered from the loss of an early wicket to be comfortably placed at 66-1 when Jamieson, who used to call Hagley Oval his home ground, intervened.
He had Abid Ali caught at third slip by Tim Southee for 25, then shortly after Haris Sohail (1) could not leave a length ball on off stump in time, instead steering it off the face to Henry Nicholls in the gully.
Jamieson's piece de resistance was to follow. Bowling to Fawad Alam, who had scored a brilliant back-to-the-wall century at Mt Maunganui, Jamieson used his 2.03m frame to extract wicked bounce from a good length.
It was all Fawad could do to throw his hands in front of his face and balloon the ball to BJ Watling. It was as close to unplayable as you can get.
Kyle Jamieson of New Zealand is congratulated by team mates after dismissing Fawad Alam of Pakistan during day one of the Second Test. Photo / Getty Images.
Earlier Tim Southee had bowled a beauty himself, swinging the ball late into out-of-form opener Shan Masood and trapping him plumb LBW for his second successive blob.
Pakistan went to lunch at 88-4, thanks in large part to a classy unbeaten 52 by their best player, Azhar Ali.
A heavy shower settled in during the lunch break and with more rain forecast, play might be limited for the final two sessions.
New Zealand need to win the test to have a chance to progress to the World Test Championship final at Lord's in June. Jamieson has put them on the right path.
