Williamson's double century earns New Zealand 174-run lead
Cricket
Williamson's double century earns New Zealand 174-run lead
KARACHI (AP) — Kane Williamson hit his fifth test double century and tailender Ish Sodhi made a career-best 65 as New Zealand pushed Pakistan onto the backfoot with a meaningful 174-run lead on the fourth day of the first test on Thursday.
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 29, 2022
New Zealand finally ended Pakistan’s frustrating time on the field when captain Tim Southee declared at 612-9 just after Williamson (200 not out) lifted mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed over extra cover for his 21st boundary and then raised his double hundred with a single after a marathon 10-hour knock that also featured a six.
Abrar, who took 17 wickets in two test matches against England earlier this month, finished with 5-205 but not before Williamson and Sodhi had extended the lead with a 159-run seventh-wicket stand on a slow turning wicket.
Williamson and Sodhi dug in for well over 1 1/2 hours into the second session after New Zealand resumed on 440-2 before Pakistan claimed three quick wickets through spinners.
Both put on 79 runs in the first session and batted with lot of determination even when Pakistan took the second new ball. They stood firm against the googlies and legspin of Abrar while leftarm spinner Nauman Ali (3-185) couldn’t pose problem from the footmarks.
Sodhi finally holed out soon after crossing his previous test best of 63 – also against Pakistan in 2014 – while Southee and Neil Wagner followed without scoring.
Williamson was on 186 when last man Ajaz Patel walked in but went into the 190s with a straight six over the head of Abrar before eventually reaching his second double hundred against Pakistan in a 395-ball knock.
It was Williamson’s first international score of over 100 in almost two years since he made 238 against Pakistan at Christchurch in January 2021.
Williamson fully capitalized on two stumping chances early in his innings and also twice successfully overturned onfield lbw rulings against him through television referrals as Pakistan rued the missed opportunities.
Sodhi batted with lot of patience and hit three boundaries against seamer Mir Hamza on the off side of the wicket after Pakistan took the third new ball.
Hamza, also making a comeback after playing his only previous test against Australia in 2018, could have had his first wicket in the penultimate over before the break but Pakistan didn’t appeal as the TV replays suggested he got a thin outside edge of Sodhi’s bat.
New Zealand’s lead was 24 when Nauman came close to dismissing Williamson on 116 in his second over of the day.
But Williamson quickly went for a successful television referral against umpire Aleem Dar’s lbw ruling after he missed a full-length delivery down the legside and the TV replays suggested the ball had pitched outside the off stump.
