From the boundary: Day three 

Source: PhotosportChris Martin and the Black Caps look on

HERO OF THE DAY

Umar Akmal, on Test debut, played a superb counter-attacking innings that raised eyeballs in its sheer audacity but won respect with its sheer exuberance. Even as Bond raged in, he cut, pulled and drove his team out of deep trouble and into a match-saving position at least. Marvellous 129 from the 19-year-old.

VILLAIN OF THE DAY

O'Brien. For a man who was meant to be the donkey bowler, he just resembled a donkey. His short of a length medium pacers helped to relieve all the pressure Bond and Vettori had built. Not much to blog home about tonight.

PLAY OF THE DAY

It's no secret that Mohammed Yousuf is the lynchpin of this Pakistan team. He has more Test runs than the rest of the team combined, and 24 of their 35 centuries. So when Shane Bond dived low and forward to snap up Yousuf's awkward forward push just centimetres off the grass, you felt each team rise and fall with this pivotal moment. Next over Bond had the promising Fawad Alam caught behind to ram home New Zealand's advantage.

GRIPE OF THE DAY

The inability of New Zealand batsmen to turn fifties into hundreds has reached epidemic proportions. Batsmen are never remembered for their fifties, only their centuries, and that should be incentive enough for them to push on to three figures. Among the current crop of players there are 47 fifties and 12 centuries - and that's without Stephen Fleming and Mark Richardson's unenviable conversion rates.

CROWD WATCH

Pakistan's fans finally turned up today - armed with a whistle, and plenty of cheer. But overall the crowd was no larger than yesterday in spite the balmy weather. Perhaps NZC should extend its free sunscreen policy to include free liquor?

FOOD WATCH

The filled foccacias at the Campus Wonderful Store on Clyde and Union Street ("Catering to every man's wants and every woman's needs", or so says the sign) has stood the test of time. The funny little ladies behind the counter even recognised me from my days as a fat lazy student. As well they might, considering my sausage roll and Blue Powerade purchases were enough alone to keep their business afloat.

DAY THREE VERDICT

New Zealand's lack of a fifth bowler was shown up badly in the final session, and brought into question whether Grant Elliott should have been picked ahead of James Franklin, given his inability to bowl. Nevertheless, the Black Caps will feel they over-achieved by blasting out eight wickets on what remains a very good batting deck, with only the occasionally-variable bounce enough to worry the batsmen.

DAY FOUR PROSPECTS

Another day of fine weather is expected. The Black Caps have got themselves to a position where they shouldn't lose, but the Akmals' partnership must raise serious questions about their ability to win it either. Aside from a probing first spell from Martin, they looked overly reliant on Bond on Day Three and miracles can't be expected of him this soon into his comeback, even if he worked a couple in the afternoon session. The NZ batsmen need another 200 to make the game safe tomorrow