Pakistan showed improvement with the bat in Dunedin after getting bundled out for 91 in Christchurch, but their 135/9 in a rain-shortened 15-over-a-side contest in the second T20I wasn't enough to trouble New Zealand. The hosts chased down the target with ease, sealing a five-wicket win with 2.5 overs to spare and took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, reports Cricbuzz.
Opting to field first, New Zealand's pacers exploited the lively surface well and struck early. Jacob Duffy dismissed Hasan Nawaz for a duck, his second in as many games whereas Ben Sears removed Mohammad Haris (11), caught at third man.
While Pakistan's top order once again struggled against pace and bounce, it was Ish Sodhi's twin strike in the seventh over that removed Irfan Khan (11) and Khushdil Shah (2) to leave the visitors reeling at 52/4.
Captain Salman Agha was the lone bright spot for the visitors, playing a fighting 46 off 28 balls, laced with 4 fours and 3 sixes. He found some support from Shadab Khan (26 off 14), who played a brisk cameo before falling to Duffy. However, their efforts were undone by regular wickets at the other end, with James Neesham striking twice in the 13th over to remove Jahandad Khan and Abdul Samad. A late flourish from Shaheen Afridi (22* off 14, including a six and two boundaries) lifted Pakistan to a total that was never quite enough but at least gave the bowlers something to defend.
The run chase got off to an anti-climactic start, with Shaheen Afridi bowling a maiden over to Tim Seifert. However, momentum swung dramatically in the next over as Finn Allen (38 off 16) laid into Mohammad Ali, smashing three sixes to get New Zealand up and running. Seifert then exploded in the third over, taking on Shaheen and clobbering four sixes, including a monster hit over deep mid-wicket.
By the end of the third over, New Zealand had raced to 44/0, effectively putting the chase on autopilot. Pakistan managed to claw their way back into the contest with crucial breakthroughs - Mohammad Ali removed Seifert (45 off 22) for his first T20I wicket and Jahandad Khan trapped Allen lbw before Mark Chapman sluggish 1 off 6. When James Neesham (5) was dismissed by Haris Rauf in the ninth over, with 39 runs more needed, Pakistan briefly sensed an opportunity. But the moment seemed to have come and gone when Shadab Khan dropped a simple chance off Mitchell Hay at cover. However, he soon made amends with a brilliant diving catch to dismiss Daryl Mitchell (14 off 14).
To be fair, the early blows from Allen and Seifert had ensured the required rate was never a concern despite the wickets that Pakistan managed to pick. Mitchell Hay (21 off 16) and captain Michael Bracewell (4) calmly guided the hosts home, with the latter sealing the win with a boundary off Jahandad Khan in the 14th over.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
