A solid final session produced decent rewards for New Zealand A's bowlers on the opening day of the first of their two four-day fixtures against Pakistan A at the ICC Academy in Dubai.
Having lost the toss, the bowlers had to toil in tough conditions against a quality Pakistan batting line-up on a belter of a pitch, before snaring four wickets in a final session shortened by bad light.
At stumps Pakistan A were 300 for five, with former test batsman Shan Masood the star performer unbeaten on a fine 164 and Saud Shakeel on 11.
The opener shared a second-wicket stand of 157 with Abid Ali, which had Pakistan A in a strong position at 220 for one shortly after the tea break.
However tall seamer Kyle Jamieson bowled Ali for 87, taking his second wicket of the innings, and that started a slump. Pakistan A lost three more wickets for 17 in the space of 24 balls.
Northern Districts seamer Scott Kuggeleijn took two wickets in the 72nd over, including captain Mohammad Rizwan, who scored two centuries against NZ A in the one-day series earlier in the tour.
Masood's ninth first-class century was the rock of the innings, and included two sixes and 15 fours. Both sixes came from spinner Rachin Ravindra, who was making his first-class debut.
The first took Masood to 99 shortly before tea. Two of Masood's 12 tests were against New Zealand in 2014. Ravindra stuck at his job and got through 14 steady overs.
Pakistan's team includes five players who have played test cricket.
The NZ A bowlers pulled the run-rate back noticeably over the final session. Jamieson, with two for 34, and fourth seamer Blair Tickner both impressed with tidy displays.
NZ A captain Jeet Raval used seven bowlers through the hot day, and shared the load, leg-spinner Todd Astle on as early as the ninth over on his way through 20 overs.