razzaq and umar gul fight

New Zealand v Pakistan, Group A, World Cup 2011, Pallekele

Seamers destroy Pakistan top order

Abdul Razzaq

Pakistan were still swooning from Ross Taylor's blitz when they came out to bat, and the seamers destroyed the top order, putting New Zealand on the verge of their first victory against a Test nation in this World Cup. Their only worry was the fitness of the captain, Daniel Vettori, who hobbled off the field in considerable discomfort after injuring his knee in the fifth over.

New Zealand were up for it when they took the field and Jamie How's full-length dive at point to save a Ahmed Shehzad cut was indication that the total of 302 would be hard to chase. It got harder when Mohammad Hafeez unsuccessfully reviewed Tim Southee's upheld appeal for lbw and left Pakistan 5 for 1.

Another example of Pakistan's ineptness was when Shehzad flicked through square leg and assumed the ball would reach the boundary, discounting Southee's sprint from fine leg. By the time Southee had saved the boundary, Pakistan's batsmen had ambled only two.

It was Kyle Mills' double-strike, however, that critically damaged Pakistan's chase. He trapped Shehzad lbw as the batsman tried to play across the line and detonated Younis Khan's off stump from the ground. Pakistan were reeling at 23 for 3.

The day's most ironic moment came when Kamran Akmal, who dropped Taylor twice before he reached double digits, nicked Southee to slip. Taylor, now standing-in as captain, did not give Kamran any favours. Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan's rock in recent times, got a leading edge to point as he tried to flick, and hope was all but lost.

Shahid Afridi, bristling at the prospect of a humiliating defeat, swung lustily and found the boundary three times. Eventually he missed one from Oram, and was bowled. At the half-way stage of the chase, Umar Akmal and Abdul Razzaq were merely delaying the inevitable.