ABU DHABI: Captain Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls combined in a terrific double-century stand to propel New Zealand’s lead against Pakistan to a valuable 198 runs in the third Test on Thursday.
Williamson, who resumed on the fourth day on 14, batted the entire day and grafted an unbeaten 139 off 282 balls with 13 fours.
Left-hander Nicholls overcame a jittery start to be 90 not out off 243 deliveries as New Zealand overcame being 60 for four in the morning to reach 272 for four at stumps and regain the advantage. Pakistan let it slip away through lapses in the field and taking a defensive approach.
New Zealand was still trailing Pakistan in its second innings by 14 runs when Nicholls joined Williamson before lunch. But they batted with determination and luck in an unbroken 212-run, fifth-wicket stand to leave Pakistan worried about what total it may be chasing to win the series on the last day Friday.
New Zealand will be in charge and favored for the series win when it will probably decide to end its second innings and leave enough time to bowl out Pakistan.
Pakistan does not have happy memories at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium, where New Zealand won the first test by just four runs after setting Pakistan a target of 176.
Pakistan made a perfect start to the fourth day when legspinner Yasir Shah became the quickest bowler to reach 200 test wickets in his 33rd test by dismissing nightwatchman Will Somerville for four.
But Shah dropped Williamson on 80 and 106.
And Imam-ul-Haq couldn’t hold onto a sharp reflex catch of Nicholls close to the wicket on the leg side soon after the left-hander completed his half-century before tea.
Shah could have dismissed Nicholls on three, but Pakistan didn’t go for the leg before wicket referral. Video replays showed the ball would have crashed onto the leg stump.
Nicholls survived another chance on nine when he successfully overturned an lbw decision against him off Shah’s sharp turning delivery from round the wicket.
New Zealand resumed on 26 for two and Shah got Somerville to reach 200 wickets and break the 82-year-old record of Australia legspinner Clarrie Grimmett, who got his 200th wicket in his 36th test in 1936 against South Africa at Johannesburg.
Ross Taylor’s overly aggressive approach ultimately led to his downfall on 22 off 14 balls when he was caught in the deep as New Zealand slumped to 60 for four.
Taylor smashed three boundaries in Shaheen Afridi’s one over and was undone by Afridi’s pace in the next over and holed out at deep mid-wicket.
Williamson and Nicholls then dug in well on a slow pitch and gradually increased the lead as Pakistan fielders let chances slip away.
Williamson completed his 19th Test century off 154 balls with a crisp cover driven boundary off Hasan Ali just before tea. By stumps he’d endured 100 overs.
He and Nicholls, closing on his third test century, scored 87 in the second session and 73 in the last session. Pakistan had a chance to take the new ball over the last 24 overs but declined, setting defensive fields to keep down New Zealand’s run rate.
The run rate came down, but Williamson and Nicholls still took the game away from a tired Pakistan attack.
Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls put New Zealand in a strong position over Pakistan in winner-takes-all Test
Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls put New Zealand in a strong position over Pakistan in winner-takes-all Test
- Williamson batted the entire day and grafted an unbeaten 139 off 282 balls with 13 fours
- Yasir Shah became the quickest bowler to reach 200 Test wickets in his 33rd test
Inter continue Scudetto march after Champions League humbling
- Milan will be favorites to win at Cremonese in Sunday’s early fixture, with the local rivals set to face off next weekend in a match which will in all likelihood have little impact on the destination of the Scudetto
MILAN, Italy: Inter Milan bounced back from Champions League elimination with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Genoa which continued their march toward the Serie A title.
Federico Dimarco’s brilliant volley just after the half-hour mark and Hakan Calhanoglu’s second-half penalty were enough for Inter to extend their already huge lead over AC Milan at the top of the table to 13 points.
Milan will be favorites to win at Cremonese in Sunday’s early fixture, with the local rivals set to face off next weekend in a match which will in all likelihood have little impact on the destination of the Scudetto.
Inter, whose fans unloaded a collection of anti-Milan chants in anticipation of the derby, have dropped just two points in 15 league matches and have been a cut above the rest in Italy’s top flight this season.
Their domestic dominance comes in stark contrast to the humiliating manner in which they were dumped out of the Champions League by Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday night.
A 5-2 aggregate defeat to the Norwegian minnows cast doubts over not just the quality of Cristian Chivu’s team but of Italian football as a whole.
There was plenty of quality in Dimarco’s opener however, the Italy full-back beautifully placing a first-time finish from a tight angle after exchanging passes with Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Little else happened in a humdrum encounter until Alex Amorim handled a cross from Luis Henrique, whose shot had been tipped onto the post just moments before.
Calhanoglu calmly stroked home the spot-kick on his return to action following niggling muscle problems which have caused him issues since before Christmas, sealing the points for Inter.
Big Rom back
Romelu Lukaku kept Napoli on course for a Champions League spot with a last-gasp winner in the champions’ 2-1 victory over rock-bottom Verona, the Belgium forward’s first goal of the season.
Lukaku forced home Giovane’s cross to snatch the win for third-placed Napoli with the last kick of the game at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
Napoli had looked like dropping points in northern Italy when Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro levelled Rasmus Hojlund’s early opener in the 65th minute.
But Lukaku, who only played his first game of the season in late January, gave Napoli a huge win with both Como and Atalanta pushing for a top-four placing.
“I was a dead player before coming here,” said Lukaku to DAZN.
“This season has been difficult, but we’ve got to aim high.”
Napoli’s title defense is all but over as they trail Inter by 14 points after an injury-ravaged season.
Napoli were missing key midfielders Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Anguissa on Saturday, as well as captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
Verona, under interim coach Paolo Sammarco following the sacking of Paolo Zanetti earlier this month, are 10 points from safety after a 12th straight match without a win.
Como, who face Inter in the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinals on Tuesday, strolled to 3-1 victory over strugglers Lecce to continue their push for a first-ever qualification for European football.
Cesc Fabregas’s team are two points behind Roma, in fourth and Juventus’ opponents on Sunday, and five behind Napoli.
Como are also two points ahead of sixth-placed Juve who face Roma trying to stay in touch with the Champions League places after being eliminated from Europe’s elite club competition by Galatasaray on Wednesday.
