(STUMPS DAY FOUR)
PAK 347-4 (lead of 99)
A rain-affected day proceeded slowly (at one point Vettori had figures of 24 overs for just 25 runs!) and PAK passed the deficit and built a small lead
This was led by their captain Yousuf who grafted out a good 89 (212). He was eventually dismissed by a very good ball from O'Brien
With just one day to go the draw seems the obvious result. However if Umar Akmal can survive the early overs tomorrow he has the skill and power to gain a 200+ lead and allow Kaneria to bowl at NZ in the last sessions.
On the other hand if NZ can run through PAK in the morning session they will have time to win the match
OBSERVATIONS
- It surprised me just as much as everyone else when Guptill took 2 wickets in the morning session but to be honest by late afternoon he was proving dangerous with some really good drift and turn. If he can eradicate the odd full toss he could be a useful part-timer in future (my apologies to Jeetan Patel)
- The NELSON struck again today as Yousuf was dismissed with the score at 333-3
- O'Brien looked really good late in the day, he injected some life into proceedings with a hostile spell at Akmal that was better drama than (in Ian Smith's words) Shortland Street
- A worrying sign for NZ long-term is the lack of form for Chris Martin who has struggled during this series
No comments:
Post a Comment