The Great Game Called Cricket...

Pakistan have been handed a huge opportunity to win the second Test against New Zealand by Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul.


Stumps, Pakistan are 64 for two, Lead by 229 runs

Iain O'Brien struck twice to see off Pakistani openers Salman Butt and Imran Farhat but the visitors are well in control of the second Test.


New Zealand are 99 all out

Mohammad Asif picked up four wickets and Danish Kaneria snapped up three as Pakistan bundled New Zealand out for a paltry 99.

After Mohammad Aamer got Martin Guptill for a four-ball duck just prior to lunch, Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif claimed another three scalps before tea as New Zealand's top order once again crumbled, leaving them 187 runs in arrears with six wickets in hand.

After a nervous start Daniel Flynn, who took 14 balls to get off the mark, was still at the crease on 24 at tea with Grant Elliott unbeaten on 12.

Flynn had yet to score when he got an early let-off in Asif's first over after lunch when Salman Butt at short leg juggled the ball six times before dropping it.

But the right-arm pace bowler had success in his very next over when Tim McIntosh edged a delivery onto his pads and Butt made amends for his previous effort by diving forward to make the catch.

The New Zealand opener had faced 21 balls for his four runs and his dismissal left the Black Caps on five for two.

Ross Taylor and Flynn steadied things a little, combining for a valuable 43 runs, before Taylor shouldered arms to a Gul delivery which nipped back and broke his stumps.

Taylor was the dominant contributor in the partnership, his 30 runs taking 40 balls and including four boundaries.

Gul struck again in his next over, continuing Peter Fulton's horror run when he had the tall right-hander trapped leg before wicket for a two-ball duck.

Flynn and Elliott knuckled down and added 25 runs leading up to tea as they looked to claw New Zealand back into the match.

Earlier, Kamran Akmal, who scored his 11th Test half-century, and the Pakistan tail-enders showed some resistance to add 103 runs to their overnight score of 161.

Akmal and Umar Gul (31) added 64 runs for the eighth wicket after Mohammad Aamer had departed for 21.

But once the wicketkeeper went for 70 it did not take long for the final two wickets of Mohammad Asif (four) and Gul to fall as New Zealand wrapped up the tail 20 minutes before lunch.

Akmal survived two umpire reviews after resuming on his overnight score of 21.

First Daniel Vettori asked for a leg before decision which was not given to be looked at. The review showed the ball hit Akmal's glove then his pads.

In the very next over the right-hander was given out lbw by Rudi Koertzen when on 35 and called for a review which showed the ball hit his thigh and would likely have gone over the stumps, leading to the decision being overturned.

From there he swiftly moved to his half-century - his 52 coming off 55 balls.

He was eventually dismissed for 70 when Vettori made a good catch running back from mid-off to give Daryl Tuffey his first wicket of the day and third of the innings.

Tuffey should have had another earlier in the session when Aamer, who resumed the day on two, gifted an easy chance to Taylor in the slips - but much to the bowler's consternation it was dropped.

Aamer added just four more runs to his total before edging an Iain O'Brien delivery to Taylor, who made no mistake a second time.

Tuffey and Vettori were the chief wicket-takers - Tuffey marking his Test comeback with four for 64 and his skipper taking four for 58.

Iain O'Brien chipped in with the other two wickets for 78 runs.