Tea Pakistan 34 for 1 (Umar 17*, Azhar 16*) trail New Zealand 356 (Vettori 110, Taylor 78, Young 57, Gul 4-87) by 322 runs
Daniel Vettori drives fluently down the ground, New Zealand v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Wellington, 2nd day, January 16, 2011
Before its crescendo into a raft of innovative strokes, Vettori's innings was a study in smart crease-occupation against lengths that wasted a still new-ball © Getty
Daniel Vettori embellished his record against against his favourite opponent with a sixth Test ton that was exemplary for the smoothness of its gear-shifts, to help New Zealand move to a position of strength from their dodgy overnight score of 246 for 6. Pakistan fell further behind the game when Mohammad Hafeez was controversially adjudged caught behind and they went to tea at 34 for 1, trailing by a further 322.
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, led by Umar Gul, played into the home side's hands with an unimaginative approach to the morning session. Young's dismissal against the run of play, close to lunch, prompted Pakistan to hit their straps and they bowled with more intent after the break, but Vettori duly lifted his game to steal 34 runs in the company of the last two batsmen.
Tanvir Ahmed followed up Young's exit - edging a non-descript delivery to Adnan Akmal for his sixth catch of the innings - with a sharp bouncer that rattled Tim Southee's helmet, laying the marker for more hostility after lunch. Umar Gul began the second session with a couple of bouncers before nailing Southee with a fuller one. Vettori was then on 81 and, with Brent Arnel and the legendary Chris Martin to follow, he began to innovate. He moved across to off stump to nudge Gul's lifters to the leg side, trotted out of the crease to launch Abdur Rehman straight for six, and later reverse-swept him against the spin. Vettori had reached 96 when Gul snaked an inducker through Arnel's defences. Martin survived four deliveries in fortuitous fashion, working the home crowd into a frenzy of applause, before they repeated the routine for Vettori's ton.
Before its crescendo into a raft of innovative strokes, Vettori's innings was a study in perseverant crease-occupation against lengths that wasted a ball that was still new. 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 seam 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 with flu, and Tanvir Ahmed lacking the nous to bowl into the wind, Misbah-ul-Haq resorted to Abdul Rehman from the Scoreboard End. Once again, the spinner stood up with a whole-hearted performance. With fielders catching at short leg, slip and silly mid-on, he got several deliveries to drift prodigiously into Vettori, but there was not enough spin for him to work with.
Having mastered the conditions, Vettori set himself up for a rich harvest. After being denied a four by the stiff breeze - a well-timed cut off Rehman pulled up short of the point boundary - Vettori perfected the shot at the other end, steering one of Gul's many harmless, short deliveries through the off side. He brought up his first half-century in nearly 10 months, off the next ball, shuffling across to off stump and nurdling round the corner. When Gul made way for Tanvir Ahmed at the Vance End, Vettori welcomed him with a crisp on-drive for four more.
Young negotiated the early challenges with a poise that held promise for a long stint in the national side. His 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 maiden half-century with a thick edge through gully for four more. Vettori's only anxious moment was also against a Tanvir bumper, that he gloved past Adnan Akmal. With lunch in sight, Young gave Pakistan an opening back into the contest, but Vettori was not done with them yet.
Having ended their innings with a flourish, New Zealand's seamers came out with purpose, and plugged away on a length outside off. Despite a lack of pace or movement, they made an impact with their discipline. Bowling into the wind, Southee got one to nip away from 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. Azhar Ali and Taufeeq Umar found their barrings by tea and promised to bat long after the break.
Nitin Sundar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
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