24 Nov 2009

Honours even after first day of NZ-Pakistan cricket test

7:28 pm on 24 November 2009

Honours have been shared on the opening day of the first cricket test between New Zealand and Pakistan in Dunedin, with Black Caps 276 for six at stumps.

New Zealand made the worst possible start after being put into bat when opener Tim McIntosh was bowled on the first ball of the match by 17-year old Mohammad Aamer.

Daniel Flynn followed soon afterwards for eight, with Black Caps struggling at 27 for two before Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill, put on 117 for the third wicket.

Taylor fell six runs short of his fifth test century, making 94, while Guptill got past 50 for the first time in a test, scoring 60.

However after being 144 for two, the Black Caps lost their next four wickets for 57 runs.

Peter Fulton made 29 and Grant Elliott eight.

Skipper Dan Vettori and Brendon McCullum have put an unbroken seventh wicket partnership of 65, with Vettori unbeaten on 40 and McCullum on 25.

However McCullum had a narrow escape on the penultimate ball of the day when he was given out lbw, however he challenged the decision under the new referral decision system and was given not out by the third umpire.

Pace bowler Mohammed Asif has taken three of the six wickets to fall.