Sometimes the good guys do get their rewards, and that was the case for New Zealand fast-medium bowler Daryl Tuffey today.

Coming into the first National Bank Test against Pakistan, he was under an injury cloud with a hip flexor problem at the top of a quadricep muscle.

But he came through the physical appraisals made of him and was free to set about doing something about his Test average which was at 107.0 after he managed to pick up three wickets only in his first three Test matches, in South Africa.

As a result of today's four for 96 runs, he has got that down to 59.57, and on bowler friendlier wickets later in the series he should do even more damage to that statistic.

His first ball dismissal of Younis Khan, for 91, followed two balls later by Faisal Iqbal, to remove the two overnight batsmen, was just the tonic New Zealand was seeking.

"We had a good period this morning and it was good to wrap up their innings.

"While we got two wickets, it was most pleasing to pick up the two guys set," he said.

It allowed New Zealand to recover from their disappointing efforts of the first day.

"We didn't really bowl in partnerships. We were creating pressure at one end but were loose at the other," was his modest summation of the rewarding spells he put in, clearly the best of the home bowlers.

Tuffey said it had taken time, with both new balls used, for the balls to rough up and start swinging.

He was able to get into good rhythm yesterday, but it had been more difficult today with the damp bowlers' run ups.

Tuffey admitted that his confidence had improved a great deal since his return from South Africa, through the one-day series' against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and today's performance had boosted that even more.

The much targeted portable pitch had been tough to bowl on, there was not a lot of pace in it, it was two-paced and at one end there was a ridge a stride or two before the delivery stride which was off putting.

Chances are with his solid build, useful height and confidence brimming that Tuffey has crossed an important divide in his cricket career.

© CricInfo