• Kane Williamson and Tom Blundell unbeaten on 66 and five respectively.
• New Zealand trail Pakistan’s first innings total of 438 by 85 runs.
• Opener Tom Latham hit 113, his 13th Test century.

On the third day of the first Test against Pakistan, New Zealand reached 353-4 at lunch on Wednesday after Kane Williamson survived two stumpings and a leg-before judgement.

Williamson and Tom Blundell were both undefeated at the half, with scores of 66 and 5, respectively, as the visitors behind Pakistan’s first innings total of 438 by 85 runs.

Any early advantage will help either team push for the win on a National Stadium pitch that is set to take more spin over the next two days. Tom Latham, who scored his 13th Test century while scoring 113, and Devon Conway, who was bowled out for 92, provided a strong platform upon which Williamson built.

In the post-lunch session, the spin team of Nauman Ali and Abrar Ahmed from Pakistan claimed two wickets: Henry Nicholls was dismissed for 22, while Daryl Mitchell made a solid 47-ball 42. Because wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed failed two attempts to stump the batsman although the batter was well outside of his crease both times, Nauman was unfortunate not to have been able to remove Willimson on the 15th and 21st.

Mitchell and Williamson shared 65 runs for the fourth wicket after Williamson challenged a leg-before ruling that had been made against him at 13.

After Pakistan got the second new ball at 272-3, Mitchell hammered seven boundaries and a six, including four straight fours off bowler Mohammad Wasim.

Tom Latham’s 13th hundred, the most by a New Zealand opener, earlier gave New Zealand a boost as they resumed on 165 without loss. Latham overcame New Zealand opener John Wright’s 12 centuries by sweeping Ahmed for a single to reach three figures.

Finally, after botching a reverse sweep and getting caught in the slip, he was declared out for 113.

Throughout his 288-minute innings, Latham hit ten boundaries. The first-wicket partnership between Latham and Devon Conway was 183, breaking the previous record of 181 achieved by Mark Richardson and Matthew Bell for New Zealand against Pakistan in Hamilton in 2001.

Conway’s fifth Test half-century included 14 boundaries, and he was caught leg before by Nauman for 92. Both Babar Azam and Agha Salman, the team’s captain, were unable to participate in Wednesday’s first practise due to the viral virus that has struck the Pakistani camp.

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