MOHAMMAD Asif struck three times as New Zealand managed to knock off just 70 of the 405 runs they require for victory in the second Test against Pakistan in the final session of day three in Wellington.

After bowling Pakistan out for 239 in their second innings on the stroke of tea, New Zealand faced the daunting task of chasing down the fourth highest fourth-innings score in a winning effort with two days remaining at the Basin Reserve and at stumps had reached 70 for three to trail by 335 runs.

New Zealand’s highest successful fourth-innings run chase was 324 for five against Pakistan in Christchurch in February 2004.

Only the West Indies (418 for seven against Australia in May 2003), South Africa (414 for four against Australia in December last year) and India (406 for four against the West Indies in April 1976) have won chasing greater targets than New Zealand face in Wellington.

Asif finished the day with three wickets for 19 runs from his 11 overs to leave Pakistan firmly in the driving seat and on course to level the three-Test series after New Zealand’s 32-run win in the opener in Dunedin.

The chase began in customary fashion for the New Zealanders, however, with the loss of an early wicket as opener Tim McIntosh lasted just four balls before he was trapped leg-before-wicket by Asif.

Martin Guptill and Daniel Flynn added another 32 runs for the second wicket before Guptill got an inside edge onto his stumps to give Asif his second scalp.

His third followed in his next over when Flynn’s dogged 39-ball innings of 20 ended when he edged behind to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal to leave New Zealand in the precarious position of 37 for three.

It could have been worse for New Zealand but for some poor fielding by Pakistan, who saw captain Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq both drop simple catches.

Ross Taylor, who took 14 balls to get off the mark with a well-timed boundary, was dropped by Misbah on 13, while Fulton, who had needed 15 balls before he got on the board, got a life when Yousuf dropped a sitter with the tall right-hander on three. The pair survived to the close and will resume today on 15 and 12 respectively. (Eurosport)

PAKISTAN first innings 264
New Zealand first innings 99 (M. Asif 4-40)
PAKISTAN second innings (o/n 64 for 2)
I. Farhat c Fulton b O’Brien 35
S. Butt c Taylir b O’Brien 18
M. Yousuf lbw b Martin 83
Misbah-ul-Haq c wkp. McCullum b O’Brien 33
U. Akmal c Vettori b Martin 52
S. Malik c McCullum b Elliott 3
K. Akmal c McCullum b Elliott 0
M. Aamer c Guptill b Martin 9
U. Gul c Fulton b O’Brien 1
D. Kaneria c Taylor b Martin 0
M. Asif not out 0
Extras: (b-4, lb-1) 5
Total: (all out, 86.3 overs) 239
Fall of wickets: 1-49, 2-54, 3-131, 4-197, 5-210, 6-210, 7-230, 8-239, 9-239.
Bowling: Martin 19-4-52-4, Tuffey 16-3-45-0, Vettori 25-11-63-0. O’Brien 21.3-4-66-4,
Elliott 5-1-8-2.

NEW ZEALAND second innings
M. Guptill b Asif 15
T. McIntosh lbw b Asif 2
D. Flynn c wkp. Akmal b Asif 20
R. Taylor not out 15
P. Fulton not out 12
Extras: (b-5, lb-1) 6
Total: (3 wickets, 33 overs) 70
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-36, 3-37.
Mohammad Aamer 6-1-19-0, Mohammad Asif 11-5-19-3.