New Zealand's tailenders have frustrated Pakistan before being bowled out for 274 on Tuesday's second day of the third and final Test.

Pakistan lost opener Mohammad Hafeez without scoring off Trent Boult's fourth delivery to stutter to 1-0 at lunch.

BJ Watling held New Zealand together with a gritty unbeaten 77 off 250 balls as Bilal Asif (5-65) wrapped up the innings just before lunch by claiming the three remaining wickets.

It is the offspinner's second five-wicket haul in his five Tests.

Resuming on 7-229, debutant Will Somerville couldn't add to his overnight 12 but denied Pakistan a breakthrough with his staunch defence for well over an hour.

Watling showed some aggression against the fast bowlers and completed his half-century off 199 balls by guiding Hasan Ali to the third man boundary.

Watling, 42 overnight, also completed 3000 Test runs when he reached 66, with only four boundaries, in a determined knock of more than five-and-a-half hours as New Zealand added another 45 precious runs.

Asif extracted sharp bounce and turn off the wicket and finally found a way through Somerville's defence when he bowled the No.9 batsman.

Asif claimed the last two wickets in successive overs when Ajaz Patel (6) was caught in the slips and Trent Boult (1) was bowled while attempting an ambitious shot.

Legspinner Yasir Shah (3-75) couldn't add to his three-wicket burst before lunch on day one. He still needs two wickets to become the quickest bowler to complete 200 Test wickets.

Boult provided New Zealand early success when Hafeez edged the left-arm fast bowler low to Tim Southee at second slip before Pakistan had scored.