LAHORE, May 15: Fine blocking and booming serves helped Kazakhstan earn a consolation victory over Pakistan in the fourth match of the five-Test volleyball series at the Wapda Sports Complex on Sunday. Kazakhs registered win by 21-25, 25-18, 44-42, 25-23 in two hours making the series 1-3. They were 3-0 down before Sunday’s win helped them salvage what little pride was left to them to take back home.

Kazakh skipper Andreyev Yevgenly created problems for Pakistan’s defence, with good support from his smashers Trikoz Sergey and Labetskiy Yuriy, bar some slackness in defence and conceding of points.

Smashers Naseer and Kashif excelled for Pakistan and their skipper Irfan had the spectators’ attention focussed on himself as setter.

In a see-saw first set, the visitors led 6-3 but Pakistan recovered to level the score at 8-8. The Kazakhs caught up with Pakistan at 10-all, who then led 19-14 before the visitors came closer 25-21 and lost the set.

Kazakhs returned with a fresh plan in the second set. The two teams fought neck and neck with the score tied at 10-all, but the visitors showed supremacy in smashing and raced to win the set and restore the parity.

The third set saw a tough fight for each single point before it swung the visitors’ way 44-42 giving them a 2-1 lead.

The final is scheduled to be held in Karachi on Tuesday.