PHOTO: AFP
Pakistan came in to bat first after winning the toss and were inspired by Umar Akmal who played a 27-ball 56 runs innings to guide the team to a total of 168-7.
Shoaib Malik contributed 39 runs off 30 balls as well.
Mitchell McClenaghan bagged two wickets for the Kiwis.
In their chase, the Kiwi openers, captain Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill never wavered and led the team past the finish line.
Williamson scored 72 off 48 balls while Guptill contributed 87 off just 58 balls. Both batsmen hit 20 boundaries and four maximums to register a record T20 opening stand.
No Pakistani bowler came even close to accounting for a batsman except Shoaib Malik who dropped Williamson in his first over off his own bowling.
Afridi: We didn't bowl the variations today. NZ played well. I think four day is too much (laughs jokingly). We will work with bowlers to plan where to bowl in the next match.
Williamson: Bowling was good and the guys did a good job. Pakistani side is extremely strong. We are happy to comeback strong from the defeat in the first T20.
Teams
Pakistan: Ahmed Shehzad, Muhammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi*, Imad Wasim, Sarfraz Ahmed†, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul,Mohammad Amir
New Zealand: MJ Guptill, KS Williamson*, C Munro, CJ Anderson, GD Elliott, L Ronchi†, MJ Santner, TD Astle, LRPL Taylor, AF Milne, MJ McClenaghan
NZ 171-0 (17.4 overs)
FOUR! and NZ have levelled the series against Pakistan.
Malik to end the proceedings for Pakistan as NZ need only four off three overs.
NZ 165-0 (17 overs)
WIDE and FOUR! Wahab loses control of the ball completely. The ball goes very wide past the keeper to the boundary.
SIX! Guptill smashes a short delivery over the leg boundary. Wahab treating him like Watson, Guptill replying like a Kiwi.
FOUR! An exquisite drive by Williamson.
Wahab Riaz is back.
NZ 146-0 (16 overs)
FOUR! Umar Akmal loses the chase to the midwicket boundary. Guptill just flicks it towards the region.
DROPPED! Kane Williamson put down by Malik himself. It came sweetly to his right, Malik went with both hands but spilled it.
Shoaib Malik has been called on by Shahid Afridi.
NZ 141-0 (15 overs)
FOUR! Backward point beaten by Williamson.
SIX! Short and pulled beautifully to clear the leg side.
SIX! Straight over Boom Boom's head and into the stands. Guptill at his best.
Shahid Afridi.
NZ 123-0 (14 overs)
Just eight runs off it.
Imad Wasim bowls his last over.
NZ 115-0 (13 overs)
FOURx2! Kane Williamson giving Amir the taste of international cricket.
FOUR and FIFTY up for Kane Williamson. Amir sticking to the leggish line and Williamson capitalises on it.
Muhammad Amir is back.
NZ 100-0 (12 overs)
FOUR off the last ball. Guptill it is. 69 off 48 is the equation now for NZ.
Shahid Afridi in for his third over.
NZ 91-0 (11 overs)
FOUR! Short. Williamson gets deep into his crease and guides it towards square leg.
Caught behind appeal on Williamson and a brilliant catch by Sarfraz behind the stumps diving to his left. Umpire says it deflected off his thigh pad.
Gul follows up with a fuller delivery. Is he going to bowl those steaming hot yorkers now?
Umar Gul replaces Wahab and starts off with a wide on off side.
NZ 82-0 (10 overs)
Four runs off the over. Three overs gone without a boundary. NZ still favourites in the game while Pakistan need a few more boundary-less overs.
Imad Wasim bowls his third over.
NZ 78-0 (9 overs)
No boundaries in his over either. Six off it.
Wahab Riaz continues.
NZ 72-0 (8 overs)
Just six runs off the over.
Imad Wasim replaces Afridi now.
NZ 66-0 (7 overs)
FOUR! Slashes towards extra cover by Guptill.
Wahab Riaz has been brought on now to stop the NZ carnage.
NZ 59-0 (6 overs)
FOUR! On Guptill's legs and sweeped towards the short square leg area.
Shahid Afridi continues.
NZ 53-0 (5 overs)
FOUR! Williamson hits it between short midwicket and mid-on fielder.
FOUR! Again on his legs and Williamson paddles it over short fine leg's head.
FOUR! Amir strolling on Williamson's legs. He just edges it past the keeper.
FOUR! Extra cover by Martin Guptill.
Muhammad Amir in for his second over.
NZ 36-0 (4 overs)
FOUR! Welcomed with a boundary by Martin Guptill. Extra cover it is.
Shahid Afridi comes on to inspire his team.
NZ 31-0 (3 overs)
FOUR! Williamson comes forwards and beats the in-field towards off. New Zealand starting the chase in a higher gear.
FOURx2! Williamson goes on the back foot and cuts twice past the short third man.
Spin time! Imad Wasim called on by Afridi.
NZ 17-0 (2 overs)
FOUR! Williamson this time. Guides the short ball towards backward square leg boundary.
Muhammad Amir is going to share the new ball with Gul.
NZ 10-0 (1 over)
SIX! Guptill receives a short and straight delivery. Dispatches it with easy over the square leg boundary.
Umar Gul to open the bowling for Pakistan today. Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson will be opening the chase for NZ.
PAK 168-7 (20 overs)
FOUR! Umar Akmal goes over covers.
RUN OUT! Sarfraz Ahmed being used a tail-ender again. He tries for a quick single but Milne hits the stumps directly to send him running back to the pavillion.
Adam Milne to bowl the last over.
PAK 161-6 (19 overs)
OUT! Imad Wasim hooks one and it caught by the fine leg fielder.
FIFTY! Single and Umar gets a much-needed confidence boosting half-ton.
FOUR! Umar goes straight this time. Beat long-off to the boundary. Vintage Umar Akmal batting.
SIX! Picked from off and dispatches towards midwicket. Another ball nearly went out of the ground.
FOUR! Umar Akmal eases into a nice and cosy shot to guide the ball towards the extra cover boundary.
McClenaghan bowls the penultimate over.
PAK 146-5 (18 overs)
SIX! Imad fires a cracker over covers.
Imad Wasim joins Umar Akmal in the middle.
SIX and OUT! Not Afridi's day to inspire his team with the bat. Goes firing to clear the extra cover boundary but pulls a short ball towards Williamson at mid-off. No Lala, Williamson won't drop it.
Adam Milne to Afridi. Pace against fire.
PAK 131-4 (17 overs)
BOWLED! Malik drags it onto his stumps. A great knock of 39 off 30 from Malik. The fireworks are coming your way. Lala walks in next.
Are we in for another display of Boom Boom fireworks?
Mitchell McClenaghan is back.
PAK 127-3 (16 overs)
SIX! Off-cutter and Umar Akmal read it early. Dispatched into the audience towards midwicket. The ball has taken a bounce and gone out the stadium; the umpire is out with a box of balls. It was a 103 metre giant.
Grant Elliot.
PAK 116-3 (15 overs)
FOUR! Malik fetches it from off and dispatches it at midwicket.
Followed with a wide!
FOUR! Commentator's curse. Edge and the ball runs towards third man boundary. Umar accounts for the runs.
Corey Anderson called in for his fourth and last over. He has been the pick of the bowlers for the Kiwis. A wicket in three and only 12 runs.
PAK 102-3 (14 overs)
FOUR! Cut, cut, cut. Malik goes past the point fielder but this time beats him to his right.
FOUR! Cut again. Malik's trademark shot. Bisects point and square leg.
Grant Elliot.
PAK 91-3 (13 overs)
SIX! Umar goes ballistic. Short and treated the same way again. Just a tad square on the leg side this time.
SIX! Umar Akmal with a gigantic six to clear the leg side. The audience comes into play.
Santner is back with the ball.
PAK 75-3 (12 overs)
FOUR! Malik cuts and that too beautifully. The ball races past point and deep fine leg.
OUT! Sohaib Maqsood picks up a ball from wide outside off and Santner waits under it to bag it with ease. The right-hander departs for 18.
Grant Elliot bowls again.
PAK 67-2 (11 overs)
FOUR! Outside edge off Malik and the pace on the ball does the rest.
Adam Milne and the pace is back.
PAK 60-2 (10 overs)
Seven runs off his over.
Grant Elliot with his dibbly dobbly pace now. Pakistan should be ready for a few cutters now.
PAK 53-2 (9 overs)
Just four runs off it. Pakistan scoring less profusely off pacers today.
Mitch McClenaghan replaces Santner.
PAK 49-2 (8 overs)
FOUR! Sohaib follows with a backfoot pull towards midwicket.
SIX! Sohaib waits and waits for the short ball and hits it over midwicket with immense power.
Todd Astle, the right-arm leggie, has been brought on.
PAK 36-2 (7 overs)
Shoaib Malik is the new man in. Is he going to play the all important innings today?
Santner is back and he gets a WICKET and that too of the dangerous Muhammad Hafeez. It was short Hafeez pulled it towards long leg but couldn't clear the fielder.
PAK 34-1 (6 overs)
Just four off his over.
Corey Anderson again for his third over.
PAK 30-1 (5 overs)
Just a single off the over.
Mitchell McClenaghan has been given the ball now. Hafeez has been joined by Sohaib Maqsood.
PAK 29-1 (4 overs)
OUT! Shehzad misses out on another start. Launches it high towards Kane Williamson at mid-off. First wicket for the Kiwis.
Corey Anderson welcomed with a boundary by Hafeez. Hit on the up towards the unguarded midwicket boundary.
PAK 22-0 (3 overs)
FOUR! Straight down the ground past the non-striker Hafeez, Shehzad hits his first boundary of the match.
Adam Milne, the express pacer, is in now.
PAK 14-0 (2 overs)
Just three runs off it.
Corey Anderson in for the second over with the new ball.
PAK 11-0 (1 over)
Hafeez starts the proceedings with the confidence he got from the last T20. SIX and FOUR off the over.
Muhammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad open the innings for Pakistan.
Kane Williamson with a new strategy in this match. He starts with left-arm spinner Santner.
Pakistan have fielded and unchanged side from the first T20. They should have gone for small experiments to test their players.
Two changes in the New Zealand side. Trent Boult and Matt Henry go out for Ross Taylor and Mitchell McClenaghan.
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