| GEO Sports | Taylor, Franklin mount New Zealand rescue | Updated at: 0912 PST, Saturday, January 15, 2011
 WELLINGTON: Ross Taylor and James Franklin steadied the ship for New Zealand, taking the home side to 147 for four at tea on the first day of the second Test against Pakistan on Saturday.
Taylor was on unbeaten on 65 and Franklin 21 not out as the pair battled back after Umar Gul and Tanvir Ahmed had removed the top order.
Following their humiliation in the first Test, where they were beaten inside three days, New Zealand need to win to square the two-Test series.
But their woes continued when Daniel Vettori won the toss and elected to bat.
Gul removed senior batsman Brendon McCullum in the first over for two and Kane Williamson for 21.
Taylor and Martin Guptill added 52 for the third wicket, a sizeable stand by New Zealand when compared with their performances in recent Tests, before Tanvir Ahmed found his line and claimed two wickets in two balls.
In the sixth over after lunch the inability of New Zealand's top order batsmen to remain patient was exposed when Guptill ignored four balls outside off from Tanvir before flashing at the fifth and he was caught behind for 29.
Jesse Ryder, who was out first ball in the second innings of the first Test, was dismissed for his second consecutive golden duck, giving wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal a second catch when he dabbled at a ball outside the off stump.
New Zealand had slumped from 98 for two to 98 for four and another collapse was on the cards before the recalled Franklin joined Taylor in an attempt to turn their fortunes around.
Franklin, a left-arm quick being developed as an all-rounder, was the only change in the New Zealand side from the first Test team, coming in at the expense of out-of-form opener Tim McIntosh.
For Pakistan, who have kept the same side that dominated the first Test, Tanvir had figures of 2-29 and Gul 2-33 while left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman has tied down the other end. | |  | |
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