Christchurch: Kane Williamson scored 238, the fourth double-century of his career and his second of the summer, as New Zealand declared with a 362-run lead over Pakistan on the third day of the second cricket Test.
Williamson’s nine-hour innings and a 369-run fourth-wicket partnership with Henry Nicholls, who made 157, propelled New Zealand 659-6 on Tuesday in reply to Pakistan’s 297 before the declaration at 6.18 p.m. local time, with 11 overs remaining in the day.
Williamson briefly delayed his declaration to allow allrounder Daryl Mitchell, son of former All Blacks rugby coach and current England assistant coach John Mitchell, to reach a maiden Test century.
Mitchell put on 133 with Williamson for New Zealand’s sixth wicket. He was 69 not out when tea was taken late after a rain-affected second session and returned knowing he had only a handful of overs to reach his hundred.
He was 93 when he came to the fifth over which Williamson indicated was positively the last of the New Zealand innings. With a single, a pair of twos and a boundary, he reached his century from the fifth ball and was left 102 not out.
Pakistan openers Shan Masood and Abid Ali came to the crease at 6.30 p.m. in gloom lifted a little by Hagley Oval’s new floodlights which were switched on for the first time just before 4 p.m. on a day of dark overcast and showers in Christchurch.
They had been in the field for 158.5 overs, almost two full days, and the task of facing New Zealand’s fresh attack before stumps was a daunting one.
Masood fell for a duck in the eighth over and Pakistan went to stumps at 8-1, still 354 behind.
4 ducks in 8 innings
Twitter lashes out at Shan Masood
Pakistan’s left-handed opening batsman Shan Masood has earned the public’s ire on social media after scoring a pair of ducks in the second Test match against New Zealand.
New Zealand started and ended day 3 at Christchurch against Pakistan on a high note. After frustrating Pakistan’s pace attack, Kane Williamson’s men struck gold by dismissing Shan Masood for naught before stumps on day 3.
The left-handed Pakistan opener has scored a pair of ducks in the second Test against New Zealand, which when paired with his duck from the second innings of the previous Test gives him three straight failures.
