Taylor passes 50, NZ battle back in Wellington

Ross Taylor ended a barren run of scores to notch his 11th test half century as New Zealand battled to 147 for four at tea on the first day of the second test against Pakistan on Saturday.

By (Reuters)

• Follow us on
• 
• 
• 

Published: Sat 15 Jan 2011, 9:53 AM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 6:30 PM

Taylor, whose previous eight innings had brought a total of just 172 runs at an average of 21.5 with one score in excess of 50, was on 65 — his highest score since a century last year against Australia.

All rounder James Franklin, who had been brought into the side at the expense of opener Tim McIntosh, was on 21 at the break after New Zealand had lost two wickets in two balls during the session and slumped to 98-4.

After resuming on 80-2 following the dismissals of Brendon McCullum (two) and Kane Williamson (21) in the morning, New Zealand suffered a mini-collapse when Tanvir Ahmed captured two wickets in two balls.

Tanvir had Martin Guptill slashing at a wide delivery on the fifth ball of his seventh over to be caught by wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal for 29.

Jesse Ryder then followed when he nicked to Akmal on the next ball. It was Ryder’s second successive golden duck after he was dismissed first ball in New Zealand’s second innings in the 10-wicket loss in the first test in Hamilton.

Tanvir was unable to achieve the hat-trick, however, when Franklin kept out a full, swinging delivery on the first ball of the bowler’s eighth over, and the New Zealand pair then set about resurrecting the innings.

Disastrous Start

Taylor, who had managed to get away with some streaky shot making with several nicks sailing over the slips or just wide of the fielders in the first session, moved to 50 when his cut behind point was mis-fielded and he scampered through for three runs.

New Zealand had chosen to bat after captain Daniel Vettori won the toss to make first use of a good pitch on a sun-drenched day, though strong northerly winds were gusting up to 85kph.

The hosts, however, began disastrously with McCullum given out lbw to Umar Gul on the final ball of the first over for two.

McCullum had not played a shot to the ball that hit high up on his pads and he seemed annoyed at the decision. Television replays suggested it would have passed over the stumps.

The hosts may well have been in further trouble when Guptill could have been dismissed on the final ball of the third over with the Pakistani fielders behind the wicket all appealing for a catch, though umpire Daryl Harper turned it down.

Television technology indicated there had been a sound when the ball passed the bat.

Williamson was the only other wicket to fall in the first session and had looked comfortable moving to 21 before he was caught by Akmal off Gul.

Pakistan lead the two match series 1-0.