Pakistan were just 28 runs away from victory against New Zealand after Shoaib Akhtar ripped through the host's batting, taking six wickets on the fourth day of the second Test on Monday.

Pakistan ended the day on 246 for three after captain Inzamam-ul-Haq spurned the additional eight overs on offer to claim the victory much to the surprise of the New Zealand players.

The tourists must now rely on the weather to stay fine to complete the task on Tuesday.

When asked why Pakistan decided to wait until the fifth day to reach the 274-run target, manager Haroon Rashid said: "We were doing fine, so why not come back tomorrow?"

Inzamam was on 57 and Yousuf Youhana on 73, having virtually settled matters with a 90-run unbeaten partnership.

New Zealand resumed the day on 75 for three but Shoaib made light work of their batsmen in the morning session as the home side collapsed to be all out for 103 in their second innings.

After missing the drawn first Test in Hamilton because of a hamstring injury, the pace bowler took six for 30 to finish the match with 11-78.

"We were really up for the cause today and the captain (Inzamam) did a great job," Shoaib told reporters.

"I was asked by the captain if I wanted a rest this morning, but I just wanted to get my job done as quickly as possible. Although it was difficult for me to bowl 10 overs in a row, it had to be done."

New Zealand added 20 runs to their overnight score before the innings fell apart and they lost seven wickets for just eight runs.

HAT-TRICK DELIVERY

After compiling a steady 41, opener Mark Richardson swiped at a wide delivery from Shoaib and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Moin Khan.

Scott Styris went for a first-ball duck when Shoaib ripped out his middle stump with a yorker and Craig McMillan survived the hat-trick delivery when he was just able to get his bat behind a similar ball.

"I've had about 12 chances to get hat-tricks and it's never happened," said Shoaib. "It wasn't a bad hat-trick ball today, but McMillan did well."

McMillan, who was foolishly run out in the first Test, was involved in another farcical mix up that led to the loss of nightwatchman Daryl Tuffey for 13.

He stroked the ball wide of mid-on and set off for the run, but changed his mind halfway down the pitch and sent Tuffey back.

Despite a clumsy pick up and throw by Danish Kaneria and some confusion between two fielding players going for the returned ball at the bowler's end, Tuffey was still unable to make up his ground.

Shabbir Ahmed got into the act with two lbw decisions to remove Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori, before Shoaib came back to dismiss Robbie Hart and Ian Butler in the same over.

Imran Farhat was the first Pakistan batsman out, for 14, when he attacked an Oram bouncer down the leg side and gloved the ball to Hart behind the stumps.

Fellow opener Taufeeq Umar went for 34 lbw to Vettori and the other Pakistan wicket was that of the impressive Yasir Hameed, who got an edge to a Butler delivery and was caught by Hart for 59.

Scoreboard

New Zealand (1st innings): 366 (M.Richardson 82, J.Oram 97; Shoaib Akhtar 5-48, Shabbir Ahmed 3-87)

Pakistan (1st innings): 196 (Yousuf Youhana 60; I.Butler 6-46)

New Zealand (2nd innings): (overnight 75-3)
M.Richardson c Moin Khan b Shoaib Akhtar 41
L.Vincent lbw Shoaib Akhtar 4
S.Fleming lbw Danish Kaneria 24
R.Jones c Moin Khan b Shoaib Akhtar 7
D.Tuffey run out 13
S.Styris b Shoaib Akhtar 0
C.McMillan not out 3
J.Oram lbw Shabbir Ahmed 3
D.Vettori lbw Shabbir Ahmed 0
R.Hart b Shoaib Akhtar 0
I.Butler b Shoaib Akhtar 0.

Extras: (lb-4 nb-2 w-2) 8

Total: (all out, 53 overs) 103

Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-43, 3-73, 4-95, 5-95, 6-96, 7-101, 8-102, 9-103.

Bowling: Shoaib Akhtar 18-4-30-6 (nb-1 w-2), Shabbir Ahmed 17-5-20-2, Mohammad Sami 4-1-12-0, Danish Kaneria 9-2-18-1, Abdul Razzaq 5-1-19-0 (nb-1).

Pakistan (2nd innings): (target: 274)
Imran Farhat c Hart b Oram 14
Taufeeq Umar lbw Vettori 34
Yasir Hameed c Hart b Butler 59
Yousuf Youhana not out 73
Inzamam-ul-Haq not out 57.

Extras: (b-4, lb-2, nb-3) 9

Total: (for three wickets, 71 overs) 246

To bat: Abdul Razzaq, Moin Khan, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed, Danish Kaneria

Bowling: Tuffey 12-5-28-0 (nb-1), Butler 17-1-82-1 (nb-1), Oram 9-1-34-1, Styris 6-1-26-0, Vettori 23-5-59-1, McMillan 4-0-11-0 (nb-1)