Pathetic Pakistan hand NZ rare series win

ABU DHABI: Debutant Will Somerville grabbed three key wickets to guide New Zealand to their first away series win over Pakistan in 49 years with a crushing 123-run win in the third and final Test on Friday.

The off-spinner took 3-52 and was aided by fellow spinner Ajaz Patel’s 3-42 as Pakistan came up well short after being set a daunting 280-run target in 79 overs. They crumbled to 156 in 56.1 overs on a weary pitch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The victory gave New Zealand a 2-1 series win after they had taken the first Test by a narrow four-run margin at the same venue. Pakistan bounced back with an innings and 16-run win in the second Test in Dubai.

New Zealand’s last away series win against Pakistan was a 1-0 victory in matches played in Pakistan in 1969. It was the Black Caps’ fifth Test series win in their last six played since November 2016. They beat Pakistan, Bangladesh, the West Indies and England — all at home — with the single loss came against South Africa. Somerville, who took 4-75 in the first innings to finish with seven wickets in the match, broke a stubborn 43-run sixth-wicket stand between top scorer Babar Azam (51) and skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, who made 28.

Patel ended Azam’s 114-ball resistance before getting the last wicket when he dismissed Hasan Ali for four, sparking celebrations among the New Zealand players. Pakistan were again let down by sloppy batting. They were off to a disastrous start when Mohammad Hafeez, in his last innings before he retires from Test cricket, was bowled by fast bowler Tim Southee for eight.

Medium pacer Colin de Grandhomme had first-innings centurion Azhar Ali caught behind for five before Somerville’s double strike pushed Pakistan to 55-5 at lunch. Somerville had Haris Sohail caught off a tentative push in the slip with his third ball of the first over for nine and next ball had first innings centurion Asad Shafiq caught behind off the glove.

In the last over before lunch Imam-ul-Haq, watching four wickets fell at the other end, gave an easy catch to forward short-leg off Patel for 22.

Earlier, New Zealand declared their second innings on 353-7 after some 45 minutes of batting with Henry Nicholls remaining unbeaten on 126 and Kane Williamson dismissed at his overnight score of 139.

New Zealand 1st innings: 274

Pakistan 1st innings: 348

New Zealand 2nd innings (overnight 272-4):

J. Raval lbw b Shaheen 0

T. Latham c Sohail b Yasir 10

K. Williamson lbw b Hasan 139

W. Somerville lbw b Yasir 4

R. Taylor c Asif b Shaheen 22

H. Nicholls not out 126

C. de Grandhomme c Asif b Yasir 26

BJ Watling b Yasir 0

T. Southee not out 15

Extras: (b9, lb 1, nb 1) 11

Total: (for seven wkts dec; 113 overs) 353

Bowling: Hasan 16-5-62-1, Shaheen 20-5-85-2, Yasir 39-8-129-4, Asif 36-6-62-0 (1nb), Azhar 1-0-2-0, Hafeez 1-0-3-0

Pakistan 2nd innings:

Imam-ul-Haq c Nicholls b Patel 22

Mohammad Hafeez b Southee 8

Azhar Ali c Watling b de Grandhomme 5

Haris Sohail c Taylor b Somerville 9

Asad Shafiq c Watling b Somerville 0

Babar Azam c Southee b Patel 51

Sarfraz Ahmed b Somrville 28

Bilal Asif c Watling b Southee 12

Yasir Shah c Patel b Southee 4

Hasan Ali c Williamson b Patel 4

Shaheen Shah Afridi not out 2

Extras: (b 4, lb 6, nb 1) 11

Total: (all out; 56.1 overs) 156

Fall: 1-19 (Hafeez), 2-32 (Azhar), 3-43 (Sohail), 4-43 (Shafiq), 5-55 (Imam), 6-98 (Sarfraz), 7-131 (Azam), 8-137 (Yasir), 9-150 (Azam)

Bowling: Southee 12-3-42-3, Boult 6-4-7-0, De Grandhomme 4-1-3-1, Patel 14.1-4-42-3, Somerville 20-2-52-3

Result: New Zealand won by 123 runs

Toss: New Zealand Umpires: Paul Reiffel (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG)

TV umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS)

Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND).