New Zealand v Pakistan - Tour Match

New Zealand Cricket XI v Pakistan XI
Eden Park, Auckland
3 Day Game
Umpires: DEA Copps & WT Martin

NZC XI: CS Dempster, *GO Rabone, AH Jones, WM Wallace, MJ Greatbatch, V Pollard, +WK Lees, DJ Nash, AR MacGibbon, DR Hadlee, J Cowie.
PAK XI: Hanif Mohammad, Saeed Anwar, Saeed Ahmed, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, *Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, +Wasim Bari, Fazal Mahmood, Iqbal Qasim, Waqar Younis.

Pakistan began their tour of New Zealand against a New Zealand Cricket XI that contained a number of possible selections for the full Test team, and opener Stewie Dempster stated his case in no uncertain terms with a sparkling first day century against the tourists' first choice Test bowling attack. Dempster also scored a hundred against the English tourists, and his 105 here dominated the NZC XI's first innings of 260, made as it was in the face of some fiery pace bowling from the Pakistanis. Pollard's attacking 49 bolstered the innings after Dempster's departure, but with Wasim and Waqar sharing six wickets the tourists would have been reasonably happy with their work in the field, although Imran looked a little rusty.

Imran was in great nick with the bat though, and after Saeed Anwar's 86 had given Pakistan's innings a bright start he single-handedly took apart the home attack with a tremendous display of clean hitting. Imran contributed 82 runs to a fifth wicket stand of 110 with a woefully out of touch Zaheer (34), and his innings reached his zenith as he struck the final two deliveries of the second day from Pollard for four and six to raise his century off just 107 balls. Imran declared upon his dismissal for 127 on the third morning, and it was fitting that Jack Cowie should claim his wicket as he was by far New Zealand's best bowler; other than Imran he also claimed the scalps of Saeed Ahmed, Javed and Zaheer, and he must now have an excellent chance of making the squad for the first Test.

Pakistan's 336-7 gave them a 76 run lead on the final morning, and by lunch the hosts were struggling on 43-3 as Wasim and Waqar put in another excellent opening burst with the new ball. The atmosphere was clouded as Waqar was involved in altercations with both Andrew Jones and Mark Greatbatch, but Pakistan were now dominating and by mid-afternoon the NZC XI had been reduced to 84-6, and victory was on the horizon. However, Warren Lees and Dion Nash mounted a spirited counter attack, and their seventh wicket stand of 72 took the Kiwis to safety as the tourists became increasingly frustrated with both the opposition and the umpires.

Pakistan eventually dismissed their hosts for 173 to leave themselves just ten overs to reach a target of 98, and despite an entertaining cameo from Javed (33 off 23 balls) they never really threatened to get there. Imran's tourists remain favourites to take the Test series after their showing here, but New Zealand might take solace in the fact that there already appears to be more than a little tension in the Pakistani camp, and Pakistan may well be their worst enemies as the series unfolds.

Scores
NZC XI 1st Inns 260 (Dempster 105, Pollard 49)
PAK XI 1st Inns 336-7 dec. (Imran Khan 127, Saeed Anwar 86; Cowie 4-88)
NZC XI 2nd Inns 173 (Lees 44, Greatbatch 43)
PAK XI 2nd Inns 49-4

MATCH DRAWN