Mount Maunganui: Tim Southee claimed his 300th test wicket as New Zealand edged closer to a win over Pakistan Tuesday on the fourth day of the first cricket test.
New Zealand set Pakistan 373 to win after leading by 192 on the first innings and declaring its second innings at 180-5, shortly before tea.
At stumps Pakistan was 71-3, still 202 runs behind, with Azhar Ali 34 not out and Fawad Alam 21. The unbroken 34-run partnership between Azhar and Fawad which occupied 89 minutes before stumps helped the tourists recover from a dreadful start which saw them two wickets down without a run on the board.
Southee took the first Pakistan wicket to fall Tuesday and finished the day with 2-15 from nine overs.
Southee became the third Kiwi after Richard Hadlee (431) and Daniel Vettori (361), the 34th bowler from all nations and only the fourth active player to achieve the 300 wicket milestone. His wickets have come in 76 tests at an average of 28.48 and a strike rate of 56.8.
New Zealand began its second innings at the start of play Tuesday after bowling out Pakistan for 239 in reply to its first innings of 431 late on the third day.
Openers Tom Blundell and Tom Latham posted half centuries in a 111-run first wicket partnership which set New Zealand on course for the declaration. Blundell made 64, Latham 53 and the pair scored at more than three runs per over which allowed captain Kane Williamson to declare before tea, with about 136 overs remaining in the match.
Williamson made 21, Henry Nicholls 11, B.J. Watling 5, Ross Taylor 12 not out and Mitchell Santner 6 in brisk innings which allowed New Zealand to make an aggressive declaration.
