Kiwis bowl their hearts out to break Pakistan

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The fast men won this test and will continue to have their shoes shined by the batsmen.

On a stirring final afternoon Shane Bond and Iain O'Brien warmed the hearts of the cricket public with energy sapping spells that thrilled the crowd and netted a 32-run victory over Pakistan.

At the final tea break, Pakistan needed 86 runs from 37 overs and New Zealand needed five wickets. The game lay in the balance – enter New Zealand's 12th man – the crowd. Around 2200 Speight's drinkers found their voice, Bond and O'Brien suddenly found life in tiring legs and some of the best scenes in recent memory on a New Zealand cricket field were unfolding on a sun-baked University Oval.

In tandem, Bond and O'Brien bowled like heroes, then headed down to fine leg where they were greeted by rousing receptions. They touched their caps as gestures of thanks, took a swig of water, caught their breath, then up they came again in search of more spoils.

Bond removed the spell-binding Umar Akmal (75) with another brilliant return catch which left the 19-year-old just 25 runs short of being just the third batsman in test history to score two centuries on debut.

Bowlers don't as a rule practise the art of return catches but Bond must, because in this test alone he has taken one at his bootlaces and another punched back at chest height. Neither of them were tailenders.

O'Brien dislocated a finger on his bowling hand and appeared to be galvanised further by the pain. The crowd stood to his courage and he repaid them with the wickets of Kamran Akmal and Umar Gul.

Bond and O'Brien were down to a walk. New Zealand had gone into the test with four bowlers and they were all spent. On came the skipper with 39 runs needed by Pakistan and two wickets to get for New Zealand.

Vettori brought his bat and his thinking cap to Dunedin this week but there was nothing to excite him in the pitch and the tourists play his type in their sleep.

Still, he is too smart with time at tailenders and how fitting it was that he took the final wicket when the capable Mohammad Aamer popped one back in his vicinity.

Vettori took off and his team-mates chased him. Coach, selector, warrior captain, Vettori deserved the final glory on a day when his bowlers were asked to defend 251 on a playable surface.

On the teams go to Wellington for the second test starting at the Basin Reserve on Thursday. New Zealand are in good shape, provided Bond backs up well, which he believes he will.

Bond, back from the wilderness of the Indian Cricket League and without much in the way of match practice, exceeded expectations in this test, perhaps not his own but certainly ours. He has returned to the top level in magnificent shape and the speed, control and determination his display in this test alone reinstates him as one of the game's premier fast bowlers.

He appears to have come back as a more aggressive bowler in terms of attacking the stumps and the outside edge of the bat but amid all the excitement he has to be nursed this summer otherwise his comeback could end in tears.

Chris Martin should not be forgotten in all the last afternoon hype because he took five top order wickets in this test, not bad for a bloke regarded as a slow starter to the season. Daryl Tuffey and Tim Southee are waiting in the wings so New Zealand currently have fast bowlers hanging from trees. If only the same could be said of batsmen.

This was New Zealand's seventh win in 46 tests against Pakistan, but more importantly its first meaningful success in 20 months dating back to victory over England in Hamilton.

- © Fairfax NZ News