New Zealand stretch lead as Pakistan search for wickets

Pakistan grabbed three key wickets to restrict New Zealand to 151-4 at tea Thursday, as both teams wrestle for a series-clinching win in the second Test in Karachi.

At the break on day four, Tom Blundell and Michael Bracewell were at the crease with 22 and 10 respectively, as the visitors extended their lead to 192 with six wickets intact.

Despite the National Stadium pitch still not causing trouble for the batters, Pakistan pegged back the visitors from 76-1 at lunch with the wickets of Tom Latham (62), Kane Williamson (41) and Henry Nicholls (five).

Latham was smartly caught off a miscued flick at short mid-wicket by Abrar Ahmed from fast-bowler Naseem Shah.

With the total unmoved on 114, in the next over Ahmed trapped Williamson leg-before. Hasan Ali had Nicholls caught soon after as New Zealand lost three wickets off 50 balls for 14 runs.

Field umpires Alex Wharf and Aleem Dar had a horrible day with three of their decisions overturned.

New Zealand were jolted in the second over of their innings when Mir Hamza bowled Conway with his first delivery.

It was the first time Conway fell without scoring in his 12-match Test career.

Pakistan wasted two leg-before referrals on Williamson when the batter was on seven and nine, while Latham overturned a decision against him on 36 — all off Ahmed.

Earlier, the visitors took a lead of 41 runs in the first innings after dismissing Pakistan for 408 in the morning session of day four on Thursday. 

Pakistan lost their last five wickets for 23 runs only as the home side slumped from 385-5 to 408 all out.

Saud Shakeel was the star of the show for Pakistan in the first innings after scoring his maiden Test century on the third day. He could only add one run to his overnight score of 124 and remained unbeaten. The left-hander's impressive knock included 17 fours.

Ish Sodhi quickly wrapped up things after trapping Abrar Ahmed in front of the stumps in the first over of the fourth day.

Spinners Ajaz Patel and Sodhi claimed three wickets each.

The other main contributors in Pakistan's first innings were Imam-ul-Haq (83) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (78). Meanwhile, Agha Salman chipped in with 41 runs.

Yesterday, New Zealand hit back, after Shakeel's century, to keep Pakistan to 407-9 at the close of the third day of the second Test in Karachi.

Shakeel has kept his end intact — batting all day Wednesday, and adding 83 for the fourth wicket with Imam-ul-Haq (83) and 150 for the fifth with Sarfaraz Ahmed (78).

Shakeel was lucky to get a life off pacer Tim Southee when Tom Latham grassed a simple catch at short cover when the batter was on 102.

With wickets falling at the other end, Shakeel went into a shell, scoring just 23 runs in the final session.

He completed his century before tea when he swept spinner Michael Bracewell for a boundary and then took a sharp single to reach three figures in 319 minutes of stoic batting.

The two-match series is tied after the first Test — also in Karachi — ended in a draw.

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