Kiwis hold nerve to clinch 32-run win

Umar Akmal’s heroic knock of 75 (from 174 balls with 5 fours and a six) went in vain as New Zealand won the first Test in a thrilling fashion by 32 runs. The younger Akmal making his Test Debut dazzled with 129 in the first innings as well but the Pakistani top order failed to stand up against the Kiwi attack. The visitors were set a perfectly chasable target of 251 on the last day.

New Zealand resumed the final day at 147 for 8 and could add up just 5 more runs despite having Grant Elliott unbeaten at the end of Day four. Umar Gul finished the Kiwi innings taking the wickets of O’Brien and Elliott to leave his team a target of 251.

The hosts straightaway had Pakistan on the backfoot  removing the openers cheaply. They got one more wicket in Fawad Alam before the lunch break and Pak was at a shaky 53 for 3 at the break with Yousuf and Umar Akmal at the crease. Chris Martin provided an important breakthrough by ending Skipper Mohammad Yousuf’s stay for 41 and also a 71-run stand. Umar Akmal kept the fight going with Shoaib Malik (32) and the runs kept flowing before the former got done in by a short ball again.

At Tea, Pakistan was at 165 for 5 with the Akmal brothers at the crease and their side hoping for a repeat of their fighting partnership in the first innings. Shane Bond made sure that the Akmals did not run away with the game by taking a return catch offered by Umar to reduce Pak to 195 for 6. That was the moment for New Zealand and they seized it with both ends taking the remaining four wickets for 21 runs. The important wicket of Kamran Akmal (27) was taken by Iain O’Brien.

It was a perfect team effort from the Kiwi bowlers with Bond, O’Brien taking three wickets each while Martin and Vettori taking two each. Shane Bond picked up the Man of the Match.

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Kiwis hold nerve to clinch 32-run win was first posted on November 28, 2009 at 9:30 pm.