Arthur tips hat to Wagner
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur recalls a young Neil Wagner bowling in the nets when he was in charge of South Africa.
Yesterday, the left-arm seamer came back to haunt Arthur, taking two wickets early in the final session at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval as New Zealand moved closer to a first test victory over Pakistan.
With just one wicket down in Pakistan’s second innings at the start of the final session and a pitch that wasn’t offering much swing and becoming easier to bat on, New Zealand were searching for answers with the ball. As has so often been the case over the past 12 months, Wagner was the man to make things happen.
At stumps on day three, Pakistan were 129-7, giving them a lead of just 62.
Arthur was full of praise for Wagner afterwards, who joined New Zealand’s 100-test wicket club when he claimed the wicket of Babar Azam.
‘‘I’ve always been a massive admirer of Neil and that goes back to the time I was coaching South Africa,’’ he said. ‘‘Neil used to come down at Centurion Park [near Pretoria] and always used to bowl at us in the nets and then become our dressing room attendant for five days.’’
Arthur said Wagner, who moved to New Zealand in 2008, had come a long way with his bowling, finally becoming a permanent fixture in New Zealand’s test XI.
‘‘I’m not surprised to doing exceptionally well.
‘‘He’s a whole-hearted trier. He’s a guy who gives it his all and he kept running in. I thought he was magnificent.’’
Wagner achieved his 100th test match scalp, with Babar falling victim to his short-pitched bowling, gloving it down leg to BJ Watling behind the stumps. In doing so, see him Wagner, in his 26th test match, became the second fastest New Zealander to 100 wickets, only missing out to Sir Richard Hadlee, who took 25 to get there.
Two Wagner overs later, he had another, producing a ripping bouncer around the throat of experienced Pakistan batsman Younis Khan.
Younis could do little, but glove the ball through to Watling for one, completing a miserable match for the 111-test veteran, who notched two in the first innings.
Wagner benefited from
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur
shortpitched He’s a guy who gives it his all he was magnificent. bowling, drawing on the tactics he used so effectively against Australia at Hagley in February, when he captured six wickets in their first innings.
‘‘That’s my job to do that,’’ Wagner said. ‘‘When it’s not swinging and also conditions start getting a little bit easier to bat, I’ve obviously got to try and make something . . . I thought happen.’’
Trent Boult was just as lethal, snaring 3-18 from 15 overs, including dogged opener Azhar Ali, who had stuck around for more than four hours for 31 runs.
It got worse for the visitors late in the final session with skipper Misbah-ul-Haq top-edging his hook shot from Tim Southee to Boult at long strife at 93-4.
Three balls later, Azhar ended his long stint, chopping one on from leg, leaving them in ANDY FYERS VOICE OF REASON p7 Boult to control.
Wagner said Boult and Southee were outstanding in partnership.
‘‘That’s just Tim and Trent in a nutshell. They’re class performers. They’re two of the best bowlers going around when they bowl like that. Absolute class. I thought they were exceptional.’’ put New Zealand p7 in firm
Boult captured his second of the innings with a screaming yorker, knocking over Sarfraz Ahmed’s off stump.
He added a third, Mohammad Amir capitulated.
New Zealand produced a forgettable first session with the bat on day three, where they lost their last seven wickets for 95 runs to be rolled for 200 in 59.5 overs.
Their quicks were superb with Rahat Ali (4-62), Amir (3-43) and Sohail Khan (3-78) all bowling effectively. getting rid of as Pakistan