Misery for Misbah, final Test evenly poised

Pakistan skipper Misbah ul-Haq fell agonisingly short of a century when he was trapped lbw on 99 as New Zealand clawed their way back into the second Test on Monday. Pakistan were all out for 376 in reply to the Black Caps' 356, leaving the Test evenly poised after New Zealand received a lucky break when an umpiring error cost Younis his wicket, breaking a 142-run partnership with Misbah.
Weather to affect play on Tuesday, Wednesday
The tourists had been cruising at 286-3 until the last ball before tea, when Jesse Ryder caught Younis at short leg off a Daniel Vettori delivery that television replays showed missed the bat. Younis departed on 73, shaking his head at a decision that sparked a Pakistan collapse as New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori and paceman Chris Martin tore through the batting line up to finish with four wickets apiece.
It was the latest in a spate of umpiring errors that have marred the two-Test series, in which the umpire referral system is not in use. While Younis could feel justifiably miffed at umpire Rod Tucker, the most disappointed player at Wellington's Basin Reserve was probably Misbah, who looked set to reach his third Test century and guide his side to a big lead.
After occupying the crease for more than five hours, facing 207 balls and providing the backbone of Pakistan's innings, Misbah was dismissed lbw on 99 when a Chris Martin delivery cut back on him. His team-mates could not capitalise on his hard work, giving Pakistan a slender first innings lead of 20, which Black Caps' openers Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum had whittled down to 11 by stumps.
New Zealand opened the day brightly, as Azhar Ali (67) added only five to his overnight total, falling to a short-pitched Martin delivery that nicked the toe of his bat to provide Ross Taylor with a simple catch at deep extra cover. Vettori, desperate to level the two-Test series after a humiliating loss in Hamilton, needed no second invitation, ousting Asaq Shafiq for a duck soon after tea with a fizzing delivery that carried to Taylor in the slips. But New Zealand will be hoping their fightback is not made redundant by bad weather which is forecast to affect play on Tuesday and Wednesday, potentially providing a draw that would give Pakistan a series win.

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Scoreboard
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New Zealand 1st innings
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M. Guptill c Adnan Akmal b
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Umar Gul                                     29
B. McCullum lbw Umar Gul                      2
K. Williamson c Adnan
Akmal b Umar Gul                             21
R. Taylor c Adnan Akmal
b Wahab Riaz                                 78
J. Ryder c Adnan Akmal
b Tanvir Ahmed                                0
J. Franklin c Adnan
Akmal b Abdur Rehman                         33
R. Young c Adnan
Akmal b Tanvir Ahmed                         57
D. Vettori c Misbah-ul-Haq b Abdur Rehman   110
T. Southee c Misbah-ul-Haq
b Umar Gul                                    1
B. Arnel lbw Umar Gul                         1
C. Martin not out                             4
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Extras: (b 7, lb 1, w 10, nb 2)              20
Total: (all out; 127.1 overs)               356
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Fall of wickets: 1-3 (McCullum), 2-46 (Williamson), 3-98 (Guptill), 4-98 (Ryder), 5-166 (Franklin), 6-180 (Taylor), 7-318 (Young), 8-322 (Southee), 9-338 (Arnel), 10-356 (Vettori) Bowling: Umar Gul 32-3-87-4, Tanvir Ahmed 25-5-93-3 (1nb, 2w), Younis Khan 1-0-9-0, Wahab Riaz 16-3-46-1 (3w), Abdur Rehman 45.1-11-96-2 (1nb), Mohammad Hafeez 8-0-17-0.

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Pakistan 1st innings
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Taufeeq Umar c Guptill b Vettori             70
Mohammad Hafeez c Young b Southee             1
Azhar Ali c Taylor b Martin                  67
Younis Khan c Ryder b Vettori                73
Misbah-ul-Haq lbw b Martin                   99
Asad Shafiq c Taylor b Vettori                0
Adnan Akmal c Martin b Vettori               22
Abdur Rehman c McCullum b Martin              5
Umar Gul c McCullum b Martin                 19
Tanvir Ahmed c Taylor b Southee               7
Wahab Riaz not out                            7
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Extras: (b 1, lb 2, w 2, nb 1)                6
Total: (all out; 133 overs)                 376
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Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Mohammad Hafeez), 2-134 (Taufeeq Umar), 3-144 (Azhar Ali), 4-286 (Younis Khan), 5-294 (Asad Shafiq), 6-324 (Adnan Akmal), 7-333 (Abdur Rehman), 8-360 (Misbah-ul-Haq), 9-363 (Umar Gul), 10-376 (Tanvir Ahmed)
Bowling: Martin 32-7-91-4, Southee 28-7-102-2, Arnel 16-4-50-0, Franklin 9-1-30-0, Vettori 47-11-100-4, Guptill 1-1-0-0.

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New Zealand 2nd innings
M. Guptill not out             1
B. Mc Cullum not out           6
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Extras: (nb 2)                 2
Total: (no wickets; 5 overs)   9
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