Pakistan in command
NZ face uphill battle after Azhar, Shafiq hit hundreds Pakistan vs New Zealand Scoreboard
Abu Dhabi, Dec 5, (AFP): Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq hit centuries to leave Pakistan in command of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi despite a batting collapse that curtailed their firstinnings lead.
Azhar hit an attractive 134 for his 15th Test hundred while Shafiq scored 104, but debutant New Zealand off-spinner Will Somerville took four wickets to restrict Pakistan to 348 all out.
Pakistan appeared set to build a huge lead before collapsing from
United Goan Centre
82 years ago.
Shafiq said Pakistan must limit New Zealand in their second innings after his side failed to chase down 176 in the first Test.
“It’s always nice to bat with Azhar,” said Shafiq. “But it was disappointing that we couldn’t get a big lead. It happens in cricket and you have to give credit to the bowlers.
“We need to get them out quickly tomorrow so that we don’t need to chase a lot of runs.”
Azhar and Shafiq put on 201 for the fourth wicket, but once they were dismissed only Sarfraz Ahmed (25) and Babar Azam (14) offered some resistance.
Azhar edged medium pacer Colin de Grandhomme through the slips to complete his first century since May 2017 against the West Indies in Dominica – and his first hundred against New Zealand.
He took 210 balls to reach the three-figure mark, before being caught sweeping off Somerville, just before tea.
Shafiq brought up his 12th Test ton with a sharp single off Somerville before falling legbefore to Patel to a straight delivery.
Somerville then had Azam and Hasan Ali (nought) bowled and wrapped up the innings by getting Sarfraz caught at mid-wicket.
Earlier, Azhar and Shafiq frustrated New Zealand’s search for early wickets as they took Pakistan to 224-3 at lunch.
New Zealand skipper Williamson took the second new ball in the 81st over with Pakistan comfortably placed at 213-3, but the bowlers struggled to extract much life from a flat pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Pakistan levelled the series with an innings and 16-run win in the second Test in Dubai.
Pakistani batsman Azhar Ali (right), plays a shot as New Zealand wicketkeeper B.J. Watling looks on during the third day of the third and final Test cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand at the Sheikh Zayed
International Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Dec 5. (AFP)
ABU DHABI, Dec 5, (AFP): Scoreboard at stumps on the third day of the third and final Test between Pakistan and New Zealand at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday:
NEW ZEALAND 1st innings 274 (K. Williamson 89, B.J. Watling 77 not out; B. Asif 5-65, Y. Shah 3-75)
PAKISTAN 1st innings (overnight 139-3) I. ul-Haq c Southee b Boult .... 9 Hafeez c Southee b Boult ...... 0 Ali c Patel b Somerville ...... 134 H. Sohail c Watling b Southee. 34 A. Shafiq lbw b Patel ......... 104 B. Azam b Somerville .......... 14 Ahmed c Raval b S’ville .......... 25 B. Asif c Taylor b Patel ........ 11 Y. Shah run out ...................... 1 H. Ali b Somerville ................. 0 S. Shah Afridi not out ............. 0 Extras: (b6, lb9, nb1) ........... 16 Ceferin said after an Executive Committee meeting of European football’s governing body on Monday that an independent body looking into the allegations made by German magazine Der Spiegel as part of their Football Leaks campaign would provide answers “very soon”.
Reports on Tuesday claimed City could even be banned from next season’s Champions League should they be found guilty.
Guardiola insisted the story hasn’t been a distraction to his players, as they moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League on Tuesday with a 2-1 win at Watford.
However, the Catalan coach is hoping for an end to what he described as “voices” surrounding the club’s business.
“If UEFA found something the club will make a statement and I’d like to do that because we will know Total: (all out; 135 overs)... 348
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Hafeez), 2-17 (Imam), 3-85 (Sohail), 4-286 (Azhar), 5-304 (Shafiq), 6-312 (Azam), 7-333 (Asif), 8-346 (Yasir), 9-347 (Hasan)
Bowling: Southee 25-5-56-1, Boult 26-7-66-2, Grandhomme 13-2-36-0 (1nb), Patel 35-5100-2, Somerville 36-8-75-4
NEW ZEALAND 2nd innings Raval lbw b Shaheen ............. 0 Latham c Sohail b Yasir ....... 10 Williamson not out ............... 14 Somerville not out .................. 1 Extras: (lb1) ........................... 1 Total: (for 2 wkts; 14 overs) .... 26
Still to bat: R. Taylor, H. Nicholls, B.J. Watling, C. de Grandhomme, A. Patel, T. Southee, T. Boult
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Raval), 2-24 (Latham)
Bowling: Hasan 4-3-2-0, Shaheen 3-0-11-1, Yasir 4-1-51, Asif 3-0-7-0