Cricket: Blackcaps crumble on day one of opening test against Pakistan

  • 17/11/2018

The Blackcaps failed to fire on day one of the first test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi after a monumental collapse.

They were dismissed for 153 in the second session on Friday, losing their last seven wickets for 42 runs at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

The score is the lowest first-innings total registered by any test team in Abu Dhabi.

That brought Pakistan into bat, and at stumps the hosts were 59/2, trailing by 94, with Haris Sohail (22) and Azhar Ali (10) at the crease.

Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bat first, which didn't pay off as Pakistan took control.

Mohammad Abbas made the breakthrough for the hosts in the 11th over after Jeet Raval (7) edged one through to keeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

Tom Latham (13) was the next to go. After putting in the hard work with the new ball he chipped one straight to Mohammad Hafeez off the bowling of Yasir Shah.

The leg-spinner got the third for the hosts shortly after, removing Ross Taylor for two, leaving New Zealand on 39/3.

Williamson and Henry Nicholls restored some pride for the visitors, sharing in a 72-run partnership either side of lunch. Nicholls struck Shah for back-to-back boundaries, and Williamson played with more freedom early in the afternoon session, as he brought up his 45th half-century off 88 balls.

Things then took a turn for the worst when Nicholls (28) departed in the 43rd over, as that started the collapse.

Williamson finished as New Zealand's top scorer with 63. The captain and Nicholls were only players to pass 13 runs.

Shah finished with 3/54, while Haris Sohail had 2/11, Hasan Ali 2/38, and Bilal Asif 1/33.

Colin de Grandhomme and Trent Boult snatched a wicket each early in Pakistan's innings with Imam-ul-Haq (six) and Hafeez (20), departing, but the visitors will need to strike early on day two if they want to get back into the match.

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