Rain, racist comments mar Pakistan-New Zealand Test

The third and final Test between New Zealand and Pakistan ended in a draw after rain washed out the final session of play at McLean Day in Park on Tuesday, leaving the series drawn 1-1.

Set 208 for victory, New Zealand were 90 without loss and scoring freely when the players were forced to leave the field at.

BJ Watling scored a lightning 60 off 62 balls and fellow opener Tim McIntosh 23 off 54 balls as New Zealand got off to a superb start.

Captain Daniel Vettori was named Man of the Match after scoring 134 in New Zealand's first innings before taking two from 93 from 56 overs in Pakistan's second innings of 455.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Black Caps claimed six wickets to remove Pakistan and keep the Test alive.

Three came before lunch and three after it in a steady and productive effort in the field.

It took that unlikely bowling hero Martin Guptill to wrap things up. The part-time spinner was brought in and trapped Mohammad Asif lbw to finish with 3-37 for the innings, the best of the Kiwi attack.

New Zealand won the first Test in Dunedin by 32 runs and Pakistan won the second Test by 141 runs in Wellington.

Meanwhile, spectators seated in a corporate box called the Pakistan team members 'Pakistani terrorists,' the website www.stuff.co.nz reported.

Mark Tremain, son of a Napier Member of Parliament, along with his 17 friends allegedly made the comments about the visiting side while seated in a corporate box at the McLean Park on the second day (December 12) of the match.

According to the New Zealand-based news website, the ground's electronic scoreboard displayed the sign 'no racist comments please' shortly after the incident.

Tremain and his friends were reportedly drunk and were shouting abuses at the Pakistani team which also included racist slurs. Stewards present near the box heard the comments and informed on-ground officials who then asked the group to evacuate the box.

'Our security staff were on the ball and they took steps to resolve the situation, and got them to modify their comments,' NZ Cricket public affairs manager Stephen Hill was quoted as saying by the website.

Pakistan team manager Abdul Raqeeb dismissed the incident saying 'one or two of the players heard something raucous from over the far side, but they could not decide what was being said and just brushed it off.'

No untoward incidents have been reported during the series and it has been played in a cordial environment.