Cricket: Mohammad's vain battle

New Zealand 155 & 311 Pakistan 191 & 231 New Zealand win by 44 runs

New Zealand completed a convincing victory in the first Test in Lahore yesterday, dismissing the home side shortly after tea on the fourth day.

Pakistan, chasing a target of 276, took the game into the final session after resuming their second innings in a perilous state at 46 for 5. That was largely down to the middle-order batsman Mohammad Wasim, who became the fourth Pakistani to make a century in his maiden Test, but his effort was to no avail.

Mohammad, 19, batted with great poise and assurance after the start was delayed by 55 minutes because of overnight dew on areas in the vicinity of the pitch. Mohammad and Moin Khan determinedly added 75 runs for the seventh wicket.

Pakistan's fightback was given further impetus when Mohammad and Mushtaq Ahmed flourished in an eighth-wicket partnership of 76 in 18 overs before tea. Wasim, on 96 at tea, reached a well-deserved century by turning Patel to the fine leg boundary for his 16th four. He batted for 232 minutes, facing 165 balls and hitting 17 fours.

Fourth day; New Zealand won toss

NEW ZEALAND - First Innings 155 (Waqar Younis 4-48, Mushtaq Ahmed 4- 59).

PAKISTAN - First Innings 191 (Moin Khan 59, S B Doull 5-46, J T C Vaughan 4-27).

NEW ZEALAND - Second Innings 311 (S P Fleming 92no, C L Cairns 93; Mushtaq Ahmad 6-84).

PAKISTAN - Second Innings

(Overnight: 46 for 5)

*Saeed Anwar lbw b Doull 0

Zahoor Elahi c Young b Patel 6

Ijaz Ahmed b Doull 8

Inzamam-ul-Haq c Young b Cairns 14

Saqlain Mushtaq c Fleming b Vaughan 0

Salim Malik c Germon b Doull 21

Mohammad Wasim not out 109

Moin Khan c Germon b Astle 38

Mushtaq Ahmed c Fleming b Patel 15

Waqar Younis b Patel 1

Shahid Nazir c Harris b Patel 1

Extras (b8 lb8 nb2) 18

Total 231

Fall: 1-0 2-8 3-25 4-26 5-42 6-60 7-135 8-211 9-219.

Bowling: Doull 16-4-39-3; Cairns 16-5-62-1 (2nb); Vaughan 14-5-48-1; Patel 15.1-6-36-4; Harris 6-2-20-0; Astle 4-1-10-1.

Umpires: Shakoor Rana (Pakistan) and R Tiffin (Zim).