Yorkshire pulled off a dramatic six-wicket victory over Warwickshire at Headingley to increase their lead to 21 points at the top of Division One of the County Championship table.

Jon Culley at Headingley08-Jul-2010
ScorecardJonathan Bairstow guided Yorkshire to victory with a calm and measured innings•PA Photos

Yorkshire’s young pretenders revealed real character on a final day that threatened to end in frustration but eventually yielded the win that sends them 21 points clear at the top of the First Division, signalling that their Championship ambitions are no passing fancy.They did so by chasing down a target of 200 from 37 overs with 14 balls to spare, thanks largely to Jacques Rudolph, their stand-in captain, who hit 80 before being run out, and to 20-year-old Jonathan Bairstow, who made light of the responsibility on his young shoulders by hitting an unbeaten 64 off 61 balls.The gap they have opened between themselves and erstwhile title favourites Nottinghamshire is a significant one, even though the Trent Bridge side, beaten at Essex on Wednesday, have played two fewer matches. Equally important to the plot as the race builds towards a climax is the fact that Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire have still to meet, home and away. It means that Yorkshire can in effect control their own destiny, regardless of what their rivals achieve against other opponents.It is to their disadvantage, potentially, that skipper Andrew Gale has made an impressive contribution to England Lions’ success in their triangular one-day competition, making him a candidate, along with Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad, for further international duty in this crowded summer. But, given that they pulled off a tense victory here without that trio, they can reassure themselves that their resources are deep.Lack of experience, particularly in their seam bowling, is the factor most likely to count against them. Lack of spirit or enthusiasm, however, will not. Those qualities they have in abundance. Here they might easily have buckled, defied as they were initially by a magnificent, epic innings by Warwickshire’s Rikki Clarke, whose resilience over six hours left him unbeaten on 127 and gave Yorkshire a target of 200 to win, essentially in one session.It was a good many more than they had expected to be chasing after Warwickshire closed day three only 21 in front, three wickets down and with one man, Jim Troughton, likely to bat only if required, after taking a blow on the head from West Indian pace bowler Tino Best on Wednesday.Clarke survived eight partners in the course of his epic, seven of them on the final day, three before lunch, the first of whom had been the most doughty in 18-year-old Ateeq Javid, who fell two runs short of a maiden half-century but should be proud of his career-best 48, which included a joust with the fiery Best in which he showed character beyond his years.His two-hour stint in Warwickshire’s cause ended in the ninth over of the morning when Adil Rashid found a thin edge as the youngster pushed forward. Ironically, Best had been frustrated again in the preceding over when his lofted drive fell just short of mid-wicket.Clarke needed more partners with similarly adhesive qualities but after Yorkshire had taken the new ball Warwickshire’s innings threatened to subside rapidly. Tim Ambrose lost his off stump to a fine ball from Rich Pyrah for 16 and Steffan Piolet was leg before to Steve Patterson for just 4, at which point, at 244 for 6, Warwickshire’s lead was only 72.In Neil Carter, Clarke now had an experienced partner alongside him at the crease but when Carter fell seven overs after lunch, leg before to a ball from Rashid that the batsman seemed to indicate, through his body language, might have been missing the target, Warwickshire’s prospects looked to be fading at 285 for 7, which put them only 113 in front.Rikki Clarke’s superb innings couldn’t save Warwickshire•Getty Images

The wicket gave Rashid his second five-for in consecutive matches but Clarke was not done. When Best returned at the football stand end he hit a textbook straight drive to complete his hundred, a magnificent effort spanning five and a half hours, with six fours and two sixes. It was his first in the Championship since April of last year and only his second in four years.But the issue for Warwickshire was about the man at the other end. Imran Tahir’s first couple of swipes did not suggest a long occupation but a few carefully chosen words of advice from Clarke seemed to have the desired effect and in the end he stayed with his unshiftable partner for 17 vital overs, in which Warwickshire’s lead grew by 75 runs.In the event, the innings ended slightly farcically, the last three wickets falling in as many overs after Tahir miscued Patterson to mid-off. Boyd Rankin was run out as Clarke decided his shot to cover off Rashid was worth two, Pyrah’s throw to the bowler’s end finding Rankin well short of his ground. Then Troughton, who had retired hurt on day three following a blow on the head from Best, perished with a steer to second slip off Patterson, having faced only three more balls.Nonetheless, Clarke’s superb unbeaten 127 had given Yorkshire a much taller task than they anticipated, making for an exciting final session. The timing of Warwickshire’s last wicket aided Yorkshire, allowing tea to be taken early with no loss of overs between innings, but the start of the chase was less helpful, as leading run scorer Adam Lyth steered the eighth ball straight to second slip.But Rudolph, with the additional incentive of his first win in 11 attempts as Yorkshire’s acting captain, looked determined that his experience would not be wasted, although he lost another potentially vital ally when Anthony McGrath was leg before to a ball from Rankin that kept horribly low.Rudolph kept picking off the Warwickshire bowling, however, with Tahir in particular struggling to keep him in check as he sought the variation that might yield a wicket. The South African went to 50 off 64 balls, by which time Bairstow was beginning to hit the ball cleanly and growing in confidence.The requirement was coming down steadily, dropping below 100 with 14 overs to go. But there was a setback around the corner. Rudolph glanced Piolet to leg, where Rankin fielded. There was an easy single but to come back for a second was to take an unnecessary risk. Rankin’s throw was straight and Rudolph was clearly out of his ground as Ambrose whipped off the bails.With 10.4 overs to go, 73 runs were still needed. But Bairstow was undaunted. Darren Maddy proved no more effective at stemming the tide than Tahir and Warwickshire’s fielding left much to be desired. Two overs conceded 25 in total and a six and a four by Bairstow off Maddy took the requirement down to 39 in seven.Bairstow’s half-century came in 52 balls. The loss of Gerard Brophy, bowled sweeping Tahir, proved nothing more than a momentary interruption. Rashid is never less than positive with bat in hand and he added 16 off 13 balls before Bairstow swept Tahir for four to win the match.”There is a long way to go but this is a young side showing lots of maturity,” Rudolph said. “We still have to play Nottinghamshire twice, which is in our favour.”

The 2011 World Cup tournament director, Ratnakar Shetty, said the governments of the host nations were working to ensure an “incident free” competition

Sa'adi Thawfeeq02-Aug-2010The tournament director of the 2011 World Cup, Ratnakar Shetty, has said that the development of the stadiums was on schedule and that the governments of the host countries – India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – were working together to ensure an “incident free” competition.Several venues in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are being redeveloped or constructed from scratch and Shetty was confident they would be ready before the December 31 deadline.”We are monitoring the development of all the World Cup venues, particularly the re-development of stadiums. The events are properly chartered and time is of the essence for us,” Shetty said. “The World Cup has been previously held in the subcontinent in 1987 and 1996, and our aim is to deliver a World Cup remembered as a memorable event for spectators to enjoy and the teams that are participating to be at full strength.”In February, the ICC had written to the BCCI expressing concerns over facilities at Bangalore’s Chinnaswamy Stadium. Andy Atkinson, the ICC pitch consultant, reportedly suggested several changes that need to be undertaken ahead of the tournament. In June, the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo was deemed to be behind schedule by an ICC delegation in terms of readiness of the pitch, but progress at the two new venues in Pallekele and Hambantota was assessed to be on track.Shetty also said that the hosts were working towards improving the security for the event. “Each of the countries now has full-time security advisors and they are preparing the national security plans as well as the tournament security plans. The three governments are working out to ensure that this will be an incident free 2011 World Cup.”Shetty was in Colombo for the naming of the 2011 World Cup’s mascot – a baby elephant called ‘Stumpy’. The ICC had conducted an online competition inviting the public to suggest a name for the mascot.

Lancashire survived a major scare to secure a thrilling last-ball Clydesdale Bank 40 win over the Unicorns at Colwyn Bay on Monday

30-Aug-2010

ScorecardLancashire survived a major scare to secure a thrilling last-ball Clydesdale Bank 40 win over the Unicorns at Colwyn Bay on Monday. Surviving a five-wicket haul from medium pacer Neil Hancock, the Lightning had to score 13 runs off the last over in their pursuit of 254. Kyle Hogg hit 12 of them, including a straight six off the bowling of Jonathan Miles, to finish 35 not out off 26 balls as Lancashire won by two wickets.The Red Rose county had looked to be cantering to their target after openers Karl Brown and Paul Horton shared 115 inside 21 overs. But 34 year-old Hancock, formerly of Somerset, returned career-best figures of 5 for 64 from eight overs to put a fifth Group A win in major doubt.
Lancashire needed 93 off 10 overs and it took a 43-ball 51 from Steven Croft to get them back on track even though they kept losing wickets.Innings of 84 not out off 69 balls and 64 off 70 from Keith Parsons and wicketkeeper Josh Knappett respectively had earlier fired the hosts to a competitive 253 for 7. Luke Procter finished with 3 for 29 from his six overs of medium pace and Hogg returned an impressive 2 for 27 from eight. The Unicorns had recovered from 31 for 2 but they would surely have posted too many for Lancashire to chase had they not lost four wickets in the last nine overs of their innings.Veteran skipper Parsons and Knappett took a liking to Stephen Parry and Gary Montgomery during a fourth wicket stand of 120 in 16 overs. Knappett swept Parry for two sixes into the pavilion while Parsons smeared Montgomery for a six over midwicket and also pulled Parry over the square leg boundary.Procter bowled Michael O’Shea and Neil Saker and also had Hancock caught at deep midwicket. The young allrounder had also taken a superb diving catch on the run from deep square leg to give Daren Powell the early wicket of Jackson Thompson.Brown then hit 64 off 70 balls and Horton 63 off 71 to put the visitors on top, hitting three sixes between them. But Australian-born Hancock bowled Brown off an inside edge, had Mark Chilton chipping to deep midwicket, bamboozled Gareth Cross with a slower ball, bowled Croft and had Procter caught at long on.Croft hit three sixes – two in successive balls before he was bowled – and four fours in his effort to keep Lancashire in the hunt. Parry was bowled by Miles and then Powell run out before Hogg, who only hit one other boundary, and Keedy were there at the end to prevent a shock.

Round-up of the third day’s action in the Karnataka Premier League

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2010After messing up their chase a day earlier, Shamanoor Davangere Diamonds held their nerve in a close finish to beat Bangalore Provident (Rural) by four runs in Bangalore.Chasing a target of 117, Provident were in control at 88 for 3 after 16 overs. However, the Davangere spinners kept things tight and the pressure showed on Provident as they lost five wickets to end up on 112 for 8. Offspinner Sunil Raju picked up 2 for 12 in four overs and was named Player-of-the-Match. Three run-outs didn’t help Provident either.Their bowlers had earlier restricted Davangere to 116 for 6. Medium-pacer Abhishek Jagan and leftarm spinner Anand Katti took two wickets each while Yere Goud top-scored for Davangere with 30 off 31 deliveries.In another match-winning performance by a spinner, Balachandra Naveen’s 4 for 20 helped Belagavi Panthers defeat Bangalore Brigadiers (Urban) by the narrowest margin of one run in Bangalore.Naveen, along with Stalin Hoover and Srinivasa Dhananjaya, had earlier helped Belagavi recover to 131 for 8 after they were in trouble at 55 for 6. Offspinner M Vinod picked up 2 for 19 in two overs.Vinod later kept Brigadiers in the chase after they had collapsed to 89 for 7, hitting three sixes in his 15-ball 29. However, after his dismissal in the 19th over, the other batsmen could get only 16 of the 18 needed for victory.

Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh opening batsman, has undergone surgery to treat his troublesome left wrist

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2010Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh opening batsman, has undergone surgery to treat his troublesome left wrist. His recovery will put him out of action for the next six to eight weeks, starting with the ODI series against New Zealand.The 90-minute procedure, which involved the removal of bone fragments from the base of his left third metacarpal, was performed at the Glenferrie private hospital in Melbourne. Bangladesh physio Michael Henry confirmed the success of the procedure. “The recovery takes around two months in such cases. However, we will have a clearer idea once we get a detailed update from Dr. Greg Hoy [who performed the surgery]. Tamim is definitely out of the ODI series against New Zealand next month as he will be going through a rehabilitation programme,” Henry said.Tamim first picked the injury in November last year and subsequent scans revealed a hairline fracture. Despite being advised against batting, he continued to play and aggravated the injury during a domestic match. Tamim fought the pain barrier to play in the Lord’s Test against England, despite struggling with the injury throughout the tour. The Bangladesh Cricket Board eventually decided to send him to Australia for a review, during which the surgery was prescribed.

New Zealand’s Northern Knights will boast an envious roster after signing Herschelle Gibbs, Brad Hodge and David Warner for this summer’s domestic Twenty20 tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2010New Zealand’s Northern Knights will boast an envious roster after signing Herschelle Gibbs, Brad Hodge and David Warner for this summer’s domestic Twenty20 tournament. Only two overseas players are allowed per match so the trio of big-hitting batsmen will be rotated during the event.Gibbs, who has played 90 Tests and 248 ODIs for South Africa, should be available from December 12 once his home domestic commitments are finished, while Victoria’s Hodge is scheduled to appear in the first four games. Warner will be able to fly across for half the side’s fixtures, although his batting time will be reduced if he is picked in New South Wales’ Sheffield Shield side.David Cooper, the Northern Districts chief executive, said finalising the unique arrangements took some time. “We were also looking to make sure we had players who were the right fit for the team’s brand of cricket and its culture,” he said. “We’re thrilled that the upshot is that Northern Knights fans will have the chance to see all three of these big names.”Cooper also hopes to have Hamish Marshall as an overseas player from January. Marshall played 13 Tests and 66 ODIs for New Zealand, but has to sign as a foreigner due to him representing Gloucestershire in English county cricket.

At 35 Michael Hussey, his sideburns flecked with grey, has to convince himself to be free and focused, which aren’t always complementary aims

Peter English in Brisbane23-Nov-2010Word has filtered through to Michael Hussey that he must get runs in Thursday’s first Test. He hasn’t read the papers or watched the television, but he has been sledged by the Victorians and listened to more talk than usual. A check of his stats will show he hasn’t scored a century in his past six Tests and in those matches has averaged 26.Outside the team everyone is asking him if he’s playing for his place, directly and in roundabout ways. Even before a 17-man squad was picked early last week to let the senior guys know that it was time to perform or perish. Hussey is always a gentleman, almost always talking positive, but there is pain in his smiles.”In my mind I still have the belief that I’m good enough to be in the team,” he said as the team prepared in Brisbane. “But there’s been a lot of speculation … Certainly some has filtered through. It’s not nice when you hear negative things or people saying you shouldn’t be in the team or they seem to have lost faith in you.”Re-confirming your worth to the detractors is a common theme for the aging player. At first, runs were all that mattered, but as things wind down it’s a fight to hold on to everything: the spot, the goodwill, the reputation.”Certainly for me that’s a motivating thing, trying to prove them wrong,” he said. “I had to do that last year. Shane Warne was pretty outspoken in wanting me out of the team. At the end of the summer he came out and said, you’ve proved me wrong.” Centuries used to create the most satisfying feelings.At 35 Hussey, his sideburns flecked with grey, has to convince himself to be free and focused, which aren’t always complementary aims. Throughout his career the latter has been easier to achieve. His single-mindedness turned a decade in the first-class ranks into one of the most stunning entries, a Test run which included an average of 80 more than two years after his debut.The fun came from accumulating, but a bad Test at the Gabba could end the ride. Or the final stop might be Adelaide, or back home in Perth. It is not a series for guarantees.He is relieved that he made the squad on the back of a second-innings century for Western Australia last week. During that display, which followed an 18-ball duck, the negative comments from the fielders “were driving me on further and further”. With the batch of young players gaining interest from the national selectors, Hussey is playing for next week and beyond.”I want to enjoy it, enjoy that pressure,” he said. “I don’t want to walk away at the end of my career, thinking, ‘geez, I absolutely hated playing for Australia’. I want to go away knowing that I played the way I wanted to play and that I gave myself the best chance of performing well and I enjoyed every minute of it. Go away a happy man rather than having regrets.”He will not change his approach and does not think his problems are technical. If he’s tentative he will struggle early, if he’s positive he can live with the consequences. The last time he was under similar heat was at The Oval in 2009, when he had gone 15 Tests without a hundred. His 121 saved his spot, but not the game, with his dismissal ending the series and changing the owners of the urn.He is a meticulous planner and is an expert at hanging on with a well-timed exertion. Does he prepare differently for a pressure innings? “No, you try not to,” he said. But do you? “No, I try not to.” He smiles as he repeats the answer, at the same time trying to convince himself he’s right.”I try to block out as much as I can and know what worked in the past. Stick to my game plans. Half the challenge is to block out all the external distractions that go on. It’s definitely been a lot tougher [this time].”While England have experienced a flawless preparation for the Ashes, Australia’s travels have been as bumpy as a landing on a rural airstrip. The hosts lost seven matches in a row in all forms of the game before succeeding in a dead ODI against Sri Lanka in Brisbane at the start of the month. England have skipped across the country, getting all their men in some form, at the same time as their stuttering opponents have picked up injuries and stinging criticism.”It’s been perceivably up and down,” Hussey said of Australia’s recent results. “But I actually think we’ve been going really well. Even in India, we played some fantastic Test cricket … It’s more been external stuff causing conjecture. Within the team our plans are really specific.”When there’s a lot of pressure, a lot of speculation and tension, that sometimes brings out the best in players, and you know if you can stick together tight as a team, you can always turn in a positive direction.” Keep the faith, retain your spot, win the Ashes. That’s the theory.

MS Dhoni, the India captain, has signed a three-year deal worth Rs 260 million (about US$ 5.7 million) to promote McDowell’s soda, which is owned by the UB Group headed by Vijay Mallya.

Tariq Engineer03-Dec-2010MS Dhoni, the India captain, has signed a three-year deal worth Rs 260 million (about US$ 5.7 million) to promote McDowell’s soda, which is owned by the UB Group headed by Vijay Mallya. “We got a very good offer, so we went for the deal,” Arun Pandey, the owner of Rhiti Sports Management, told ESPNcricinfo. The deal is reportedly the largest ever signed by an Indian sportsperson.In July, Dhoni signed a three-year endorsement deal worth approximately Rs 2.1 billion ($ 42 million) with a joint venture between Rhiti and advertising agency Mindscapes. The venture is responsible for the gamut of Dhoni’s endorsements, from brand associations to digital rights, as well as his presence on social networking sites. Mindscapes was already managing Dhoni’s endorsements prior to the deal, but not the rest of his properties.The contract with McDowell’s is one step towards fulfilling that obligation to Dhoni, Pandey said. They are also working on a couple of other deals, and a formal announcement is expected in January. Prior to signing with McDowell’s, Dhoni was a brand ambassador for Seagram’s Royal Stag Mega Cricket Signs until July, along with fellow India team-mates Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, and Harbhajan Singh. Seagram’s is a competitor of the UB Group. The India captain currently endorses over twenty brands, including PepsiCo, Reebok, Aircel, and Godrej.Last year Forbes magazine named Dhoni the world’s highest paid cricketer, ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, with earnings of $10 million, $8 million of which came from endorsements.

The Bombay High Court has stayed until January 10, 2011 the proceedings of the BCCI’s disciplinary committee that is investigating charges against former IPL chairman Lalit Modi

Tariq Engineer25-Dec-2010The Bombay High Court has stayed until January 10, 2011 the proceedings of the BCCI’s disciplinary committee that is investigating charges against former IPL chairman Lalit Modi. Modi had filed a case claiming that the committee was improperly appointed, and Justice S.J. Kathawala, the vacation judge, held that prima facie there was an argument for halting the hearings.Modi’s lawyers contended that according to the BCCI’s constitution, the board is required to appoint three members to the disciplinary committee at its annual general meeting (AGM) every year. However, at the AGM held on September 29, 2010, the BCCI failed to appoint any members to the committee, thereby stripping it of its existence.When the board realised its error, it held a special general meeting (SGM) on December 11 where it appointed the same three members – Arun Jaitley, Chirayu Amin and Jyotiraditya Scindia – to the committee. At the time, the BCCI secretary N Srinivasan told that the reappointment of the committee was “a minor thing”.Modi’s lawyers countered in Court that this too violates the BCCI’s constitution and bye-laws, as the AGM is the only venue to appoint the committee. They argued that the board needs to first amend its constitution and bye-laws to allow for the appointment of a new committee at an SGM.In light of the judge’s ruling, the next set of disciplinary committee hearings scheduled for December 27 and 28 in New Delhi have been cancelled, according to a statement sent to ESPNcricinfo by Modi’s attorney, Mehmood Abdi.Modi has repeatedly challenged the composition of the committee, particularly objecting to the presence of current IPL chairman Chirayu Amin and BCCI vice-president Arun Jaitley on the grounds of bias against him. His case was rejected by the Bombay High Court but the Supreme Court told the board and Modi in October to come to a compromise on the issue. However, the two sides have failed to do so and the case is still pending.

Daniel Vettori embellished his record against his favourite opponent with a fine to lift New Zealand to 356, before Pakistan’s top order put up a determined reply to leave the game evenly balanced

The Bulletin by Nitin Sundar16-Jan-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDanie Vettori’s innings took New Zealand from a dodgy position to one of comfort•Getty Images

Daniel Vettori embellished his record against his favourite opponent with a century that was exemplary for the smoothness of its gear-shifts and guided New Zealand from their dodgy overnight position to a score of 356. New Zealand’s progress centred around the 138-run stand between Vettori and Reece Young, who made his maiden half-century, as Pakistan’s attack played into the home side’s hands with an unimaginative approach during the morning session. Their batsmen, however, showed more enterprise, with Taufeeq Umar and Azhar Ali making half-centuries to lead a strong response. Taufeeq’s late exit left Pakistan at 134 for 2, and the game evenly balanced going into the third day.New Zealand’s seamers came out with purpose after Vettori’s heroics, and plugged away on a length outside off despite not getting much help from the wicket. Bowling into the wind, Tim Southee got one to nip away from Mohammad Hafeez, who hit his pad with the bat as he shaped to drive. Umpire Rod Tucker upheld the appeal, triggering another round of debate around the inconsistency in the implementation of the UDRS.Having found his bearings in the session leading up to tea, Taufeeq checked in with two delectable shots in Southee’s first over of the final session, driving square when he was offered width, and straight when he wasn’t. When the seamers angled into his pads, he made them pay almost every time, while also leaving well throughout his innings, both on line and length.Azhar was more subdued and survived a couple of outside edges, the second of which carried low to a late-reacting Ross Taylor, standing wide at first slip. Despite the odd stutter, Azhar showed glimpses of the determination that marked him out in the tours of England and South Africa. The highlight of his effort was a back-foot square drive off Southee, so delicate that it wasn’t noticed by an unfortunate pigeon in the deep-point area that had its feathers ruffled.With the fast bowlers struggling for impact, New Zealand turned to their captain for inspiration once again, and he nearly intervened in his first over, the 26th of the innings. Young appealed without conviction after juggling a thin inside edge from Taufeeq, which no one else seemed to have noticed. Unperturbed by the reversal, Vettori settled into a searching spell, getting the ball to misbehave occasionally from the rough outside Taufeeq’s off stump. Without the aid of the bowlers’ foot marks, he set up a fascinating tussle with Azhar, testing him with flight and drift, and it was down to the batsman’s fortune that he managed to survive Vettori’s best.When Vettori threatened to tie him up with his variations, Azhar stepped out to launch him inside-out over long-off for his first six in Test cricket. The respite was temporary, and Vettori nearly accounted for him twice, beating him through the air with subtle variations in flight, inducing a couple of miscues that landed safely. Taufeeq was easily the more assured of the two, but succumbed with stumps in sight, jabbing Vettori into the slips for 70. His dismissal reignited New Zealand’s hopes, which had flagged a touch after a dominant morning.Pakistan’s early woes were exemplified by Gul, who showed little of the craft and presence of mind he had displayed on the first day. Then, he had used the wind behind him to hustle the batsmen, while getting the ball to deviate disconcertingly from a length. Today, his average length was at least a foot shorter, and he wasted the new ball with a slew of bouncers and wide deliveries. Vettori and Young were happy to stay back in the crease and pick gaps in the field when they were forced to play. With Wahab Riaz indisposed, Abdur Rehman took over duties at the Scoreboard End and got several deliveries to drift prodigiously into Vettori, but did not have enough spin to work with.Vettori mastered the conditions and the one-dimensional line of attack, to set himself up for a rich harvest. He steered one of Gul’s many harmless, short deliveries for four through the off side, and off the next ball, brought up his first half-century in nearly 10 months, shuffling across to off stump and turning round the corner. When Gul made way for Tanvir at the Vance End, Vettori welcomed him with a crisp on-drive for four more.At the other end, Young showed enough poise to promise a long stint in the national side. He survived his only error in the first hour, top-edging a pull off a Tanvir bouncer behind the wicketkeeper’s head, and brought up his fifty with a thick edge through gully for four more. His dismissal, with lunch round the corner, gave Pakistan an opening, but Vettori was not done with them yet. He seamlessly shifted from the initial brief of crease occupation and produced a raft of innovative strokes to swell New Zealand’s score.Tanvir followed up the ball that dismissed Young with a sharp bouncer that rattled Southee’s helmet, and there were a couple more bumpers from Gul after lunch. Southee did not last long, falling to a fuller one, but Vettori’s innovation earned New Zealand 34 from their last two wickets. He moved across to off stump to nudge Gul’s lifters to the leg side, trotted out of the crease to launch Rehman straight for six, and later reverse-swept him against the spin. Vettori had reached 96 when Gul snaked an incutter through Brent Arnel’s defences. Martin survived four deliveries in fortuitous fashion, working the home crowd into a frenzy of applause, and they soon repeated the routine for Vettori’s well-deserved ton. His batting put New Zealand on top in the morning, and his bowling refused to allow Pakistan to dictate terms thereafter.