Cricket-Rehman helps Pakistan strike back in 1st NZ test

Pakistan's Abdul Rehman produced a spell of tight, left-arm spin bowling to halt New Zealand's momentum as the hosts lurched to 160 for five at tea on the first day of the first test at Seddon Park on Friday. Kane Williamson was on 12 while debutant wicketkeeper Reece Young was two not out after Brendon McCullum (56), Ross Taylor (six), Jesse Ryder (22) and Martin Guptill (50) were all dismissed during the session.

McCullum and Guptill had steered New Zealand to 78 for one at lunch after Tim McIntosh was caught for five by Younus Khan at second slip off Tanvir Ahmed in only the second over. Rehman bowled five successive maidens after the break, pinning down the normally free-flowing New Zealand batsmen from the embankment end of the ground while pace bowler Umar Gul attacked from the grandstand end.

The aggressive McCullum, who looked set for a big score, smashed two sixes off Gul but then slashed at a short wide delivery on the next ball and was caught by Azhar Ali at deep backward point.

Taylor never looked settled and while he swept Rehman to the boundary to end the run of maidens he was out in the same over when he got a thin edge through to wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal. Guptill adopted the anchor role while the left-handed Ryder was the more aggressive, lofting a six and a four in Rehman's 12th over.

However, he was unlucky to be run out when Wahab Riaz deflected a well-timed straight drive on to the stumps with Ryder well short of his ground. Guptill brought up his fifth test half century with a single but then threw his wicket away when he hit a Rehman full toss straight to Misbah-ul-haq at mid-off.

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