AUCKLAND, Dec 14: Pakistan batsmen Imran Farhat and Yasir Hameed sent a stark warning to New Zealand on Sunday with a rampant batting display on the opening day of their three-day match against Auckland.

The pair continued the form which destroyed New Zealand in a one-day series which ended in Pakistan this month, making the bowling look more mediocre than it was as they caressed the ball to all parts of the boundary.

In Pakistan’s sole warm-up game before the first Test starts on Friday, Imran and Yasir put on 74 for the second wicket as the visitors raced to 318.

Auckland were 35 for one in reply when bad light brought an early end to the day.

Imran’s 73 off just 70 balls included 11 fours and a six before he was out caught by Tama Canning to give Auckland skipper Brooke Walker the first of his five wickets.

Yasir went on to 96 off 104 balls before he fell victim to a leg-side trap, hooking a ball from Paul Hitchcock down to Kerry Walmsley at backward square leg.

Down the order, Asim Kamal scored a more regulation 43 off 107 balls, while Shoaib Akhtar hit three sixes and three fours in his 32.

Shoaib then took the only Auckland wicket to fall before stumps when he had New Zealand Test batsman Lou Vincent caught by Mohammad Sami for four.

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