KARACHI: Tom Latham scored a stunning century on Wednesday while fellow opener Dion Conway fell eight runs short of one of his own as New Zealand gave Pakistan a tough reply on the third day of the first Test in Karachi.
Tom Latham scores his 13th Test century.#PAKvNZ | #TayyariKiwiHai pic.twitter.com/pEBftGnr6W
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 28, 2022
Latham’s 13th century – the most by a New Zealand opener – took the visitors to 2-245 at lunch in reply to Pakistan’s first innings total of 438.
The tourists are now trailing by 193 runs.
After New Zealand resumed on 165 for no loss, Kane Williamson overturned the decision in the first leg against himself, with 19 and Henry Nicholls unbeaten on 10.
Latham swept spinner Abrar Ahmed for one to reach three figures, eclipsing John Wright’s 12 centuries as an opener for New Zealand.
He scored 113 runs and was caught out at slip after reverse sweep.
Prize scalp for Abrar Ahmed ⚡#PAKvNZ | #TayyariKiwiHai pic.twitter.com/koqDuo1XNQ
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 28, 2022
Latham hit ten fours in his 288-minute innings.
Latham and Conway put on 183 for the first wicket, breaking New Zealand’s record of 181 by openers Mark Richardson and Matthew Bell in Hamilton in 2001 against Pakistan.
Conway was caught leg by spinner Nauman Ali after scoring 92 for his fifth Test half-century after hitting 14 fours.
The Pakistani camp is under the grip of a viral flu, with neither captain Babar Azam nor Agha Salman fielding in Wednesday’s first session.
Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan were bowled out for 438 runs in their first innings.
Babar Azam scored 161 and Salman Agha scored 103 runs on behalf of the host team.
𝘼𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 💯
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 27, 2022
Splendid batting with the tail ✨#PAKvNZ | #TayyariKiwiHai pic.twitter.com/vg417H75wK
Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to put pressure on the Kiwi batsmen throughout the innings on day two, with the benign pitch not helping their cause.
