Williamson digs in with 89

– New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson (above) hit a fighting half-century while BJ Watling batted with patience on the first day of the third and final Test in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

Williamson missed out on a 19th Test century but Watling was unbeaten on 42 as New Zealand closed on 229/7.

Yasir Shah began his 33rd Test needing five wickets to become the fastest man to reach the milestone of 200 Test wickets. The record is currently 36 Tests, set 82 years ago by Australian legspinner Clarrie Grimmett.

Yasir managed 3/62 but was then thwarted by the fifth-wicket stand of 104 in 249 balls between Williamson and Watling.

Williamson struck seven boundaries but these were the bright points in a day when defence came first.

The normally robust and aggressive Kiwi captain curbed his attacking instinct as he attmpted to carve out a first innings that might give his side some leverage in the match.

Watling also dug in and the pair batted right through the middle session.

Williamson passed 50 in a Test for the 46th time but he was not able to convert his innings into another hundred. Having reached 89 off 176 balls, he mistimed a clip off Hasan Ali shortly after tea and Asad Shafiq pouched the catch at short midwicket.

Yasir was the key and the leg-spinner induced a mini-collapse, taking three wickets as the Kiwis slipped from 70/1 to 73/4 at lunch.

New Zealand, who won the first Test by four runs in Abu Dhabi, brought in fast bowler Tim Southee and off-spinner Will Somerville in place of Neil Wagner and Ish Sodhi. –

Abu Dhabi