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[caption id="attachment_28943" align="aligncenter" width="580"] Southee took 6 wickets in the first innings against Pakistan at Hamilton. Image Source: twitter[/caption] Internet Desk: With the fifth five-wicket haul of his test career, and his first in more than three and a half years, Black Caps pace spearhead Tim Southee kept his side in control of the second test against Pakistan in Hamilton on Sunday. The Kiwi paceman snared 6-80 off 21 overs at Seddon Park - the second-best figures of his career - as the tourists were bowled out for 216 in reply to New Zealand's 271, on a rain-interrupted third day. Having claimed three quick scalps on the evening of day two to leave Pakistan reeling at 76-5 overnight, Southee finished the job to snuff out a stoic fightback from Pakistan, whose No 3 Babar Azam finished 90 not out and agonisingly short of a maiden test ton. The visitors were made to surrender a 55-run first innings advantage, as Southee claimed his first bag since May 2013, against England at Lord's, and kept his impressive early-season form running. "It's always nice to pick up wickets," he said. "It was just nice to contribute to the bowling performance. "I've obviously had a few niggles over the last wee while, and the body feels pretty good and I am back into playing some consistent cricket, which is nice." Southee missed the recent India ODI series with an ankle injury, but performed well in the first-test win in Christchurch in coming away with five wickets, following an outing for Northern Districts where he claimed seven, also at Seddon. It's a ground which he continues to love, having now nabbed 32 test wickets there at an average of just 18.90, compared to a career average of 31.53. "It is one of the few grounds around the world that the main wind actually assists a right-arm outswing bowler, so that's always nice," he said of using the gusty northwesterlies to perfection. But after the day dawned fine, it wasn't all easy going for the Kiwi pacemen, who were made to toil, with Babar combining with Sarfraz Ahmed (41 off 44 balls) and Sohail Khan (37 off 47) for stands of 74 and 67 on what had begun as a very seamer-friendly surface, but suddenly didn't seem to be threatening with the same terrors. "Personally, I was a little bit off in that first spell," Southee said. "It showed if you have positive intent and the bowlers are a little bit off, you can score. "There's a little bit in there [the surface] with the new ball, but then once the ball gets older obviously it gets a little bit easier to bat. "We just needed to gain a little bit of control back again, hit our areas. "As a group we bowled pretty well. Matt Henry didn't get a wicket but I think he bowled exceptionally well throughout, most of it was into the wind, and he did a great job, and he probably deserves a lot more credit than what his figures show." Just as it looked Pakistan were hauling themselves back into the contest, it was Southee with the traditional away swinger to nick out Sohail, then, following the near three-hour rain delay, he wasted no time in having Mohammad Amir (5) fending off to Raval to secure his bag, before Imran Khan (6) gloved to BJ Watling down the leg-side to end proceedings and leave Babar stranded, having worked for 196 balls. After the Black Caps faced a grand total of one delivery in their second innings the rain returned, to leave both teams reassessing the match situation ahead of a better looking forecast for the final two days. "Taking a 50-odd run lead into the second innings after losing the toss on that wicket, I think we're pretty happy with the situation how it sits at the moment," said Southee, who added there would definitely be no complacency amongst his side, as New Zealand look to beat world No 2 Pakistan in a test series for the first time since 1985. "We know that they've got some quality bowlers in their lineup, and with a wicket that's still offering a little bit with the new ball, we know that we're going to have to come out and bat well if we want to get into a decent position in this game going forward. "In no way do we think the job's done, or anywhere near done."