Cricket: Wasim whittles away resistance: Pakistan take series

New Zealand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 and 361

Pakistan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .548 for 5 dec

Pakistan win by an innings and 12 runs

ALTHOUGH rain claimed the morning session on the fourth day here yesterday, the second Test ended soon after tea when Pakistan bowled New Zealand out for 361 and won by an innings and 12 runs. They have, therefore, taken the three-match series following their victory in the first Test.

New Zealand's resistance in the later stages was spirited and will have enabled them to feel that they have lost this match with some honour. In all honesty, though, they were comprehensively outplayed once again in all departments.

Beginning the day at 189 for 4, they needed 184 more to make Pakistan bat again. The morning drizzle stopped in time for a start to be made after lunch and New Zealand then made a bad beginning.

Andrew Jones who had batted so well on Saturday, walked across his crease to Wasim Akram and had his middle stump uprooted when the ball squeezed between bat and pad. Seven runs later, at 216, Shane Thomson, the other overnight batsman, drove Wasim a trifle casually off the back foot and was caught at mid-off.

For most of the rest of the innings the resistance centred around Tony Blain and he was given sensible support at the other end by Simon Doul and Danny Morrison. Wasim bowled extremely well without much luck in a long spell with Waqar, whose control was not as good as usual on a surface which was playing easily enough.

Gradually, though, Wasim whittled his way through the order and he finished with 7 for 119, although the new ball was needed for the last two wickets. For the second Test in succession Wasim, who took 11 wickets, was made man of the match and he has now taken 20 wickets in two Tests, which is a record for the two countries in a three-match series.

Martin Crowe, the injured New Zealand captain, is likely to miss the tour to India next month. Crowe has been out of international cricket with a troublesome knee since the first Test against Australia last November. Crowe's aim now is to get fit in time to lead New Zealand in next summer's tour of England, which opens in late April.

(Fourth day; New Zealand won toss)

NEW ZEALAND - First Innings 175.

PAKISTAN - First Innings 548 for 5 dec (Saeed Anwar 169, Basit Ali 85, Salim Malik 140, Inzamam-ul-Haq 135no).

NEW ZEALAND - Second Innings

(Overnight: 189 for 4)

B A Pocock b Waqar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 B A Young b Wasim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 A H Jones b Wasim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 K R Rutherford c Akram b Rehman. . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 M SGreatbatch c Rashid b Wasim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 S A Thomson c Rehman b Wasim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 T E Blain c Basit b Wasim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 M N Hart b Wasim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 S B Doull c Salim b Wasim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 D K Morrison lbw b Waqar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 R P de Groen not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Extras (nb12 lb5 b1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361

Fall (cont): 5-209 6-216 7-244 8-276 9-350.

Bowling: Wasim Akram 37-7-119-7; Waqar Younis 25.2-4-111-2; Ata-ur-Rehman 18-1- 86-1; Aamir Sohail 1-0-1-0; Akram Raza 12-4- 25-0; Salim Malik 2-0-13-0.

KAPIL DEV, the Indian all- rounder, has been urged to quit by a top official. Raj Singh Dungarpur, vice-president of India's cricket board, also dismissed Kapil's record as the highest Test wicket-taker. 'It has been painful to watch Kapil Dev surpass Sir Richard Hadlee's record,' he said.