KARACHI: Kane Williamson shone with an unbeaten century to take New Zealand ahead of Pakistan as the touring side raised 440/6 at the end of the third day’s play in the opening Test, here at National Bank Cricket Arena on Wednesday.
Williamson frustrated Pakistani bowlers for the most part of the day as he remained not out on 105 at the stumps and will further stretch New Zealand’s lead with tail batter Ish Sodhi on the other end.
The former Kiwi captain made Pakistan pay for their mistake after he was given a new life at 23 when wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed missed a clear stumping chance.
While the veteran batter stood firm on the crease, Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell scored 47 and 42 respectively to propel New Zealand’s domination in the competition.
Starting with an overnight score of 165 without loss, the tourists added 275 runs to the total throughout the day’s play and lost six wickets.
After returning wicketless on day 2, the home side bowlers earned vital breakthroughs in the opening session as they dislodged the opening pair of Tom Latham and Devon Conway.
Latham completed his 13th Test ton and added 35 runs to his overnight score of 78 to keep New Zealand in control, however, his opening partner Conway missed his hundred by eight runs.
Pakistan found early success in the morning when spinner Nouman Ali hit the front pad of Conway and on-field umpires were forced to change their original decision following a DRS review taken by Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was leading the side as stand-in captain in the absence of Babar Azam.
Following the first scarce, Latham, however, kept the momentum going for the touring side and gathered 47 runs for the second wicket along with Williamson, who played cautiously before Lunch and made only 19 from 60 balls
The left-handed opener made 113 from 191 balls before he was taken at slips by substitute field Kamran Ghulam off Abrar Ahmed’s bowling.
After Nauman brought Henry Nicholls’s demise (22 off 32), Mitchell accelerated New Zealand’s scoring rate in the afternoon session as he gathered 65 from 87 balls with Williamson before Abrar got rid of him.
Blundell, however, accumulated, 90 runs alongside Williamson at a relatively slower pacer as the pair consumed 194 balls for the sixth wicket stand before a Pakistani pacer earned its first wicket of the match.
Moahmmad Wasim Jr, however, claimed the first wicket of a Pakistani pacer in the game when he stuck Blundell on the pad.
Leg spinner Abrar took his third wicket when he removed Michael Bracewell cheaply on 5 from 13 balls.
