Pakistan close on New Zealand win
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Pakistan were 28 runs short of victory at the close of play on day four of the second test against New Zealand in Wellington.
Pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar terrorized the New Zealand batsmen, taking six wickets for 30 runs as the home side were all out for 103 in their second innings.
Chasing 274, Pakistan reached 246-3 but declined to take an extra eight overs to finish the job.
"We were doing fine, so why not come back tomorrow?" said Pakistan manager Haroon Rashid.
Earlier, New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for eight runs after adding 20 runs to their overnight total of 75-3.
Opener Mark Richardson was first to fall, edging a wide delivery from Shoaib to wicketkeeper Moin Khan.
First ball duck
Scott Styris then suffered a first ball duck when his middle stump was ripped out by Shoaib's yorker and Craig MacMillan narrowly avoided the same fate on the hat-trick ball.
But MacMillan was then involved in running out Daryl Tuffey for 13, sending him back from halfway down the wicket.
Shabbir Ahmed then picked up the wickets of Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori with two lbw decisions before Shoaib returned to remove tailenders Robbie Hart and Ian Butler in the same over.
Shoaib, who missed the first drawn test with a hamstring strain, finished with match figures of 11-78.
"Everything was happening for us and happening for me," said Shoaib.
"It was time to just charge in. I was asked by the captain if I wanted a rest this morning but I just wanted ti get my job done as quickly as possible. Although it was difficult for me to bowl 10 overs in a row it had to be done."
But Shoaib said he was disappointed to miss out on his first test hat-trick.
"I've had about 12 chances to get hat-tricks and it's never happened. It wasn't a bad hat-trick ball but MacMillan did well."
