New Zealand fights back

AUCKLAND, MARCH 9. New Zealand had restored some respectability to its score at stumps on the second day of the first Test on Friday, after a disastrous start to its innings saw Pakistan take two wickets in the opening two overs.

Chasing Pakistan's 346, New Zealand lost openers Matthew Bell and Mark Richardson within the first two overs for just one run, but Captain Stephen Fleming (32) and Mathew Sinclair (28) steadied the innings and took the score to 65 for two at stumps.

Waqar Younis struck first, removing Bell for a duck after a dubious decision from umpire Doug Cowie. Replays showed the ball hit Bell's back pad, not his bat, but he was given out caught behind.

There was no doubt about Mohammad Sami's first Test wicket. A beautiful yorker bowled Mark Richardson and New Zealand was in trouble at one run for two wickets.

Sinclair looked shaky early on as he tried to take a positive approach to some impressive bowling from Sami and Waqar, but he soon gained some composure, hitting some nice straight drives and a lovely flick off his pads for four through midwicket.

Fleming showed his class and the two pulled the New Zealand innings to respectability after its terrible start, bringing up their 50 runs partnership off 108 balls as they set about chasing the tourists' first innings total of 346.

The end of the Pakistan innings was packed with action as Moin Khan and Mushtaq Ahmed took to some loose bowling, putting on 52 runs together to equal the record for the ninth wicket for Pakistan against New Zealand.

Moin was out for 47, caught behind off Tuffey, which gave the burly fast bowler his best return in Tests, four for 96. His figures suffered under the late onslaught from Moin and Mushtaq, with his last four overs costing 29 runs for the one wicket.

James Franklin then induced an edge from Mushtaq to give wicketkeeper Adam Parore his fifth catch of the innings and Franklin his first Test wicket.

The late fightback by Pakistan was in stark contrast to the rain- hit morning session, which produced four wickets and 24 runs.

Both overnight batsmen, Younis Khan and Faisal Iqbal, went to the first deliveries they faced today for 91 and 42 runs respectively, and Saqlain Mushtaq and Waqar went cheaply.

- Reuters

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