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New Zealand level series

Sharjah - Emotional New Zealand completed an innings and 80 run win over Pakistan in the third and final Test on Sunday, to level the three-match series 1-1.

Seamer Trent Boult took 4-38 and Mark Craig 3-109 which overshadowed Asad Shafiq's career best 137 as Pakistan were dismissed for 259 in their second innings in the fading light at Sharjah stadium.

The win was more praiseworthy in a week when New Zealand were left grieved by Australian batsman Phillip Hughes's tragic death on Thursday, the day when both teams abandoned second day's play.

Boult ended Shafiq's fighting 183-minute knock of 18 fours and six sixes - his fifth Test century - with a short delivery.

Craig wrapped up the innings by dismissing Rahat Ali for six to end with match figures of 10-203.

He took 7-94 in the first innings.

Boult struck thrice in the space of 18 balls to leave Pakistan struggling at 24-3 before Craig and Sodhi (2-82) chipped in.

Before tea

Pakistan won the first Test in Abu Dhabi by 248 runs while the second ended in a draw in Dubai.

Pakistan's batting failure was miserable on a pitch where New Zealand plundered 690.

Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed (37) tried to take the attack to the New Zealand bowlers with a 73-run stand for the sixth wicket before Sodhi removed Ahmed and Yasir Shah (ten) in the same over before tea.

Shafiq hit Craig for a six and four to reach his hundred off 123 balls to delay the defeat after Pakistan lost Mohammad Hafeez (24) and Misbah-ul Haq (12) in the post lunch session.

Hafeez gave a return catch to Craig while Misbah was adjudged caught behind off the glove on the same bowler and even a referral couldn't save the Pakistan skipper.

Incoming delivery

Earlier, Boult had shaken Pakistan at the start of the innings, dismissing Shan Masood (four) in his second over, bowled Azhar Ali (six) in his fourth and trapped Younis Khan for a first ball duck in his fifth in a destructive spell.

Boult's devastating spell came after New Zealand extended their first innings to 690 in the morning - their highest-ever total in all Test cricket.

That gave New Zealand a huge 339-run lead over Pakistan's first innings total of 351 and they pressed home their advantage quickly with Boult's strikes.

Masood drove uppishly to be caught in the slips while Ali misjudged a sharp incoming delivery which hit the off stump as he tried to leave the ball.

Boult again used the angle well from round the wicket to trap the in-form Younis leg-before. A review could not save the batsman.

New Zealand had added a further 53 earlier in the morning after resuming on 637-8, with Craig (65) becoming the sixth batsmen to reach a half-century -- a record number of 50-plus scores in one innings by Kiwis.

New Zealand's innings included a world record 22 sixes, beating the 17 struck by Australia against Zimbabwe at Perth in 2003.

Test total

In all 35 sixes were hit in the match, beating the 27 shared by Pakistan and India in Faisalabad in 2006.

Pakistan's much vaunted bowling attack suffered badly, with paceman Rahat Ali taking 4-99 and leg-spinner Yasir Shah conceding 193 runs for his four wickets.

New Zealand's previous highest Test total of 680-8 came against India in Wellington in February this year.

Both teams now play two Twenty20 internationals in Dubai on December 4 and 5 which will be followed by five one-day matches.

Complete scoreboard:

Pakistan 1st innings 351 (Mohammad Hafeez 197; M. Craig 7-94)

New Zealand 1st innings (overnight 637-8)

T. Latham c Ahmed b Rahat 13

B. McCullum b Shah 202

K. Williamson c Younis b Rahat 192

R. Taylor c Younis b Shah 50

C. Anderson c Shah b Rahat 50

D. Vettori lbw b Rahat 15

BJ Watling lbw b Hafeez 8

M. Craig c and b Hafeez 65

T. Southee c Talha b Shah 50

I. Sodhi c Younis b Shah 22

T. Boult not out 0

Extras: (b2, lb7, nb6, w8) 23

Total: (all out; 143.1 overs) 690

Fall of wicket: 1-51 (Latham), 2-348 (McCullum), 3-464 (Taylor), 4-488 (Williamson), 5-528 (Vettori), 6-537 (Anderson), 7-546 (Watling), 8-637 (Southee), 9-682 (Craig)

Bowling: Talha 22-2-136-0 (6nb, 1w), Rahat 29-2-99-4 (2w), Babar 23-1-135-0, Shah 44.1-4-193-4, Hafeez 23-2-110-2 (5w), Ali 2-0-8-0

Pakistan 2nd innings

Mohammad Hafeez c and b Craig 24

Shan Masood c Southee b Boult 4

Azhar Ali b Boult 6

Younis Khan lbw b Boult 0

Misbah-ul Haq c Watling b Craig 12

Asad Shafiq c Craig b Boult 137

Sarfraz Ahmed c Taylor b Sodhi 37

Yasir Shah lbw b Sodhi 10

Mohammad Talha lbw b Vettori 19

Rahat Ali c McCullum b Craig 6

Zulfiqar Babar not out 0

Extras: (lb2, 1nb, w1) 4

Total: (all out; 63.3 overs) 259

Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Masood), 2-20 (Ali), 3-24 (Younis), 4-36 (Hafeez), 5-63 (Misbah), 6-136 (Ahmed), 7-146 (Shah), 8-180 (Talha), 9-258 (Rahat)

Bowling: Boult 15-6-38-4, Southee 11-3-20-0 (1w), Craig 20.3-2-109-3, Vettori 5-2-8-0, Sodhi 12-0-82-2

Result: New Zealand won by an innings and 80 runs, level series 1-1

Toss: Pakistan

Umpires: Paul Reiffel (AUS) and Rod Tucker (AUS)

TV umpire: Ranmore Martinesz (SRI)

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM).





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