12 Thursday, December 31, 2020 Sports MOUNT MAUNGANUI TEST: SO NEAR, YET SO FAR New Zealand’s Neil Wagner (centre) celebrates with teammate Tom Latham after taking the wicket of Pakistan’s Fawad Alam (left) during the fifth day of their 1st Test at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday. (AFP) Kiwis’ ‘inspiration’ Wagner hailed for defying broken toes AFP ent guy. His attitude is eve- MOUNT MAUNGANUI rything, his aggression is very beautiful.” FAST bowler Neil Wagner was Pakistan batsman Azhar hailed as an “inspiration” on Ali also said he had “huge re- Wednesday after he shrugged spect” for Wagner. off the pain of two broken toes “I said that to him -- that’s to help bowl New Zealand to what it means to play for your victory in the first Test. nation,” Azhar said. A Shaheen Afridi yorker “I think he’s showing that fractured two toes in Wagner’s and he’s an inspiration, eve- right foot during New Zea- ryone knows he’s got not one, land’s first innings but, surviv- but two, broken toes and he’s ing on painkilling injections fighting for his team. and grit, he bowled 21 overs in “He was giving 100 percent Pakistan’s first innings and 28 and maybe more than that, so in the second for a match haul I have a huge respect for him.” New Zealand players celebrate their victory after taking the final wicket of Pakistan’s Naseem Shah (left) on the fifth and final day of their first Test match played at the Bay Oval of four wickets. Williamson said trying to in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, on Wednesday. The hosts won by 101 runs where Pakistan were just 27 balls away from escaping with a draw. ((AFP) Wagner crucially removed get the most out of Wagner Fawad Alam for 102 during a before the painkillers wore off marathon 11-over spell late on was a unique situation. the fifth day to snuff out Paki- “People talk about the size stan’s hopes of a surprise vic- of his heart in terms of what he tory. New Zealand eventually (normally) does on the cricket New Zealand end Pakistan’s won by 101 runs, 27 balls from field but to have a couple of the close. broken toes, and he’s in a lot New Zealand captain of pain and going off to get in- Kane Williamson said it was jections and numbing his foot, an incredible performance, and we’re trying to use him,” although Wagner’s heart was Williamson said. well known within the team. “It was very, very special defiance for thrilling Test win Pakistan skipper Moham- from ‘Wags’, one the team ap- mad Rizwan said: “I just told preciated. We needed him out AFP Scoreboard stan’s resistance. times previously, and even his him he’s mad. He’s a differ- there and he delivered.” MOUNT MAUNGANUI Pakistan captain Rizwan lbw shout against Rizwan was New Zealand (1st innings): 431 S. Afridi not out 8 said that despite the result, he turned down before the um- NEW Zealand beat Pakistan by Pakistan (1st innings): 239 Naseem Shah c&b Santner 1 was proud of the way his side pire’s decision was overturned New Zealand (2nd innings) 180-5 decl Extras: (b16, lb7, w2 nb8) 33 101 runs in a thrilling finish to Pakistan (2nd innings: Overnight 71-3) Total: (All Out, 123.3 overs) 271 played. on review. the first Test in Mount Maun- S. Masood c Taylor b Southee 0 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Abid Ali), 2-0 (Masood), 3-37 “We put in hard work, but Alam lasted three more ganui on Wednesday, where Abid Ali c Watling b Boult 0 (Sohail), 4-75 (Azhar Ali), 5-240 (Rizwan), 6-242 you must give credit to the overs until he gloved a Wagner the visitors were just 27 balls Azhar Ali c Watling b Boult 38 (Alam), 7-251 (Yasir Shah), 8-259 (Ashraf), 9-261 New Zealand team,” he said. short ball to wicketkeeper BJ H. Sohail c Santner b Southee 9 (Abbas), 10-271 (Naseem Shah). from escaping with a draw. F. Alam c Watling b Wagner 102 Bowling: Southee 23-8-33-2 (1w), Boult 25-9-72-2 Jamieson struck first, 11 Watling down the leg side. The win tentatively put M. Rizwan lbw Jamieson 60 (1w), Jamieson 26-13-35-2, Wagner 28-9-55-2 (5nb), overs after the tea break, with Alam had been discarded New Zealand top of the World F. Ashraf c Watling b Wagner 19 Santner 19.3-3-52-2 (2nb), Williamson 2-1-1-0. the wicket of Rizwan, lbw for by Pakistan in 2009 after rankings and kept alive their Yasir. Shah c Southee b Jamieson 0 Toss: Pakistan. 60, before Wagner removed three Tests and a best innings chances of making the World M. Abbas lbw Santner 1 Result: New Zealand won by 101 runs. Alam for 102. of 168, and since his recall this Test Championship final. Jamieson produced a par- year his highest score was 21 After a 165-run fifth-wick- ter tea and Jamieson -- on his bet than anything else. ticularly miserly spell after the against England in August. et stand by Fawad Alam and 26th birthday -- bowled nine. “It was great coming away tea break when he sent down There were a few loose Mohammad Rizwan the Test They obliged with the wickets with the result and the excite- nine overs and took two for shots early in his innings and went into the final session with of Alam and Rizwan. ment of finishing so late in the four. a nerve-wracking moment both sides in with a chance to “We saw an incredible piece obviously adds to that.” Apart from when Pakistan when a ball ricocheted off his win. spell from Kyle and Wags to- When Jamieson had Ri- whipped out the New Zea- arm and bounced dangerously Pakistan needed 158 gether that did turn the match zwan lbw for 60 and Wagner land openers cheaply on day close to the stumps. runs, New Zealand required when it was looking likely to removed Alam for 102, New one, the match had been in Otherwise he staunchly six wickets and 36 overs re- run out into a draw,” William- Zealand were into the tail as New Zealand’s control until held his own through 269 de- Australia’s batsman Steve Smith plays a shot during a training session mained. son said, adding that with so Pakistan folded from 240 for Rizwan, the stand-in skipper, liveries before bringing up his at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne on Wednesday, New Zealand captain Kane much at stake he could not four to be all out for 271. joined Alam in the middle with century with a four off Wagner a day after losing to India in the second Test. (AFP) Williamson put his faith in contemplate going defensive. Tail-enders Shaheen Af- Pakistan 75 for four on the fi- – scoring only two more runs Neil Wagner, bowling on two “For us it was trying to win ridi and Naseem Shah kept nal morning. off his next 33 balls before his broken toes, and the young- at all costs. Going into that last the draw option alive as long They occupied the crease dismissal. Burns dumped as est of his pace quartet, Kyle session we still clearly had that as they could, blocking for for more than 63 overs until New Zealand’s frontline Jamieson, to swing the match opportunity, as did Pakistan, seven overs in fading light be- Jamieson struck 11 overs into pace bowlers Tim Southee, towards the Black Caps. but in the context of the Test fore Naseem was caught and the final session. Trent Boult, Wagner, Jamie- Warner, Pucovski Wagner bowled a mara- championship losing while bowled by spinner Mitchell Jamieson had gone close son and Santner each took two thon 11 overs unchanged af- trying to win was still a better Santner for one, ending Paki- to taking a wicket several wickets. get nod for Australia AFP chance to play,” Hohns said. SYDNEY The selection of Pucovski clears the way for the 22-year- South Africa coach Boucher highlights AUSTRALIA on Wednesday old to make his Test debut, after included David Warner and a blow to the helmet in a warm- debutant Will Pucovski in up match earlier this month. challenges for bowlers in times of Covid their squad for the third Test Australia won the opening against India, with selectors Test in Adelaide by eight wick- ditching Joe Burns after a ets, with India levelling the se- AFP injury woes emphasised the poor start to the series. ries on Tuesday with an eight- CENTURION importance of teams having Warner will return as he wicket win in Melbourne. big squads at a time when it continues recovering from a Despite an outbreak of COV- KAGISO Rabada is not an au- Because his name is Kagiso was necessary for players to be groin injury, while Pucovski is ID-19 in Sydney, Cricket Aus- tomatic choice for South Af- Rabada, we would want to in bio-secure ‘bubbles’. also expected to be fit after a tralia has confirmed the third rica in the second Test against play him but we’ve got to He said South Africa would concussion, Cricket Australia Test will be held at the SCG on Sri Lanka, according to coach manage his loads. He’s not tamper with their top six said in a statement.