Kane Williamson made an unbeaten 94 and shared a 120-run partnership with Ross Taylor which lifted New Zealand into a strong position at stumps Saturday on the first day of the first cricket test against Pakistan.
Taylor made 70 and Williamson added a further 89 with Henry Nicholls who was 42 not out at stumps when New Zealand was 222-3.
Williamson came to the crease when only three balls had been bowled and remained for the next 86.3 overs, reshaping the New Zealand innings and changing the course of the first day.
Pakistan had been on top after winning the toss, bowling on a green pitch and after Shaheen Afridi removed New Zealand openers Tom Latham for 4 and Tom Blundell for 5 with only 13 runs on the board.
New Zealand faced its first real crisis of the domestic summer. In two tests against the West Indies it lost the toss and made scores of 519-7 and 460 to set up innings victories and a 2-0 series sweep.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s more disciplined attack made much better use of the toss and conditions than the West Indies. Shaheen brought pace and bounce which generated catches behind the wicket: Latham and Blundell were caught in the slip cordon and Taylor fell to a catch by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
Mohammad Abbas brought immense accuracy and perseverance, conceding only 10 runs from his first 11 overs.
Williamson and Taylor were forced to graft for runs early. Taylor’s half century from 127 balls was his 34th in tests but second slowest in terms of balls faced while Williamson’s, from 154 balls, was his 33rd and his second slowest in New Zealand.
By lunch they had lifted New Zealand to 55-2 and they reached their half century partnership from 125 balls.
The pitch mellowed in the second session and, while the Pakistan bowlers maintained good line and length, Taylor and Williamson were able to bat more freely. They posted their 10th century partnership in tests from 249 deliveries, adding to the record of New Zealand’s most prolific test partnership.
Taylor had special cause to celebrate as he was making a record 438th international appearance across all formats, over-taking Daniel Vetorri’s record of 437. He has form a special alliance with Williamson, with whom he has batted more than 150 times in tests and scored more than 3,000 runs.
“At the start of my career I was happy just to play one or two games and to have come this far is nice,” Taylor said.
“Throughout the whole of the summer the pitches have been a little bit green, this one not as green as the other two. In tests you expect it to do a little bit for the first couple of hours and it certainly did that.
“We’re happy to get through pretty unscathed: 222-3 after losing those early wickets we certainly would have taken at the start of the day.”
Even Williamson had his moments. He was dropped at second slip, a hard chance, when he was 18 and again by Haris Sohail when he was 86. But he batted on, unruffled by those moments.
His late partnership with Nicholls gave substance to the New Zealand total and concern to Pakistan. Williamson made a career-best 251 in his most-recent innings in the first test against the West Indies while Nicholls made 174 in the second test.
Shaheen finished the day with 3-55 while Abbas had no wicket for 25 runs from 21 overs, 11 of which were maidens.
New Zealand 222-3 at stumps on 1st day, 1st test vs Pakistan
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New Zealand 222-3 at stumps on 1st day, 1st test vs Pakistan
- Pakistan had a good start after Shaheen Afridi removed New Zealand openers with only 13 runs on the board
- Shaheen finished the day with 3-55 while Abbas had no wicket for 25 runs from 21 overs
Pakistan to play India in T20 World Cup, government says
- Islamabad announced boycotting the Feb. 15 match in Colombo to protest the ICC’s exclusion of Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup
- Pakistan’s government says the decision to play India is taken to protect ‘spirit of cricket and to support the continuity of global sport’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has cleared the country’s cricket team to play India in the T20 World Cup on Feb. 15, the Pakistani government announced late Monday, ending a week-long standoff.
Islamabad announced boycotting the Feb. 15 match in Colombo to protest the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) exclusion of Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup, following Dhaka’s decision to not play matches in India owing to security fears.
On Sunday, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja arrived in Lahore for talks with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam as the sport’s governing body strived to save the high-stakes T20 World Cup encounter.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met PM Sharif late Monday and briefed him regarding the outcomes of high-level deliberations held between the PCB, Bangladesh board and ICC representatives, the Pakistani government said on X.
“The Government of Pakistan has reviewed the formal requests extended to the PCB by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, as well as the supporting communications from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and other member nations. These correspondences sought Pakistan’s leadership in securing a viable solution to recent challenges,” the Pakistani government said.
“In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.”
The BCB earlier thanked the PCB, ICC and all others for their positive roles in trying to “overcome recent challenges,” particularly thanking PCB Chairman Naqvi and Pakistani cricket fans for demonstrating “exemplary sportsmanship and solidarity.”
“We are deeply moved by Pakistan’s efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period. Long may our brotherhood flourish,” BCB President Islam said in a statement.
“Following my short visit to Pakistan yesterday and given the forthcoming outcomes of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem.”
The dispute stemmed from the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland last month after Bangladesh refused to play tournament matches in India. Dhaka’s decision followed the removal of Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was bought for $1 million by the IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders, but on Jan. 3 the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ordered Kolkata to release Mustafizur without a public explanation but amid regional tensions.
Pakistani cricket authorities subsequently announced boycotting the match against India at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Feb. 15. An India-Pakistan fixture is the sport’s most lucrative asset, generating a massive share of global broadcasting and sponsorship revenue.
“This decision [to play India in T20 World Cup] has been taken with the aim of protecting the spirit of cricket, and to support the continuity of this global sport in all participating nations,” the Pakistani government said.
“We remain confident that our team will carry the spirit of sportsmanship and national pride onto the field as they compete for global glory.”
