: Late-bloomer Colin de Grandhomme celebrated his call-up with a record New Zealand debut bowling performance of six for 41 as Pakistan crumbled in the opening Test on Friday.
After the 30-year-old de Grandhomme engineered Pakistan’s collapse to be all out for 133 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand’s other debutant Jeet Raval put it in a strong position to be 104 for three in reply at stumps.
New Zealand made a rocky start to its reply when the experienced Tom Latham, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor — with 158 Tests between them — could muster only 16 runs in total.
But the novice Raval (55 not out) and Henry Nicholls (not out 29 in his eighth Test) have added 64 for the fourth wicket to put New Zealand in charge.
On what was effectively the first day of a now four-day Test, after rain washed out the scheduled Thursday start, the honours lay with de Grandhomme.
The previous best six-wicket haul was Alex Moir’s six for 155 against England 65 years ago.
Although conditions appeared ripe for bowling when Williamson won the toss his strike pair Southee and Trent Boult strayed too much to seriously trouble Pakistan openers Sami Aslam and Azhar Ali in the first hour.
But it all changed when Williamson overlooked Neil Wagner as his first-change bowler and flicked the ball to de Grandhomme.
Misbah offered stubborn resistance in a near three-hour innings, reaching 31 off 108 balls before slashing at a Boult flyer to be caught by Williamson.
In addition to de Grandhomme’s six for 41 off 15.5 overs, Southee took two for 20.
Boult had figures of two for 39. — AFP
