Pakistan crush New Zealand by 103 runs
New Zealand bowled out for 80, captain Shahid Afridi takes four wickets for fourteen runs.
CHRISTCHURCH:
Pakistan on Thursday defeated New Zealand by 103 runs in the third Twenty20 match in Christchurch.
Earlier, Pakistan had scored 183 for six after electing to bat first. Shahid Afridi had won the toss and elected to bat first.
Scott Styris top scored for New Zealand with 45 runs, with Afridi taking four wickets for fourteen runs.
Openers Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez went after New Zealand's bowlers from the outset, scoring at a rate of almost 10 an over for a partnership of 81 to give Pakistan their best start of the series.
With the three-match series already decided in New Zealand's favour, Shehzad threw off the shackles and raced to 27 after three overs, punishing short-pitched deliveries from 18-year-old New Zealand paceman Adam Milne.
He was similarly dismissive when Tim Southee was called into the attack, hitting four boundaries off his first over.
Hafeez made a slower start but was keeping the scoreboard humming with 34 from 23 balls before mistiming a wide pitched delivery from James Franklin and falling to a leaping one-handed catch from Ross Taylor.
Shehzad followed in Franklin's next over, trapped lbw for 54 off 34 balls.
Pakistan then hit a mid-innings wobble as Younis Khan was run out for five and Asad Shafiq was dismissed for eight after charging Nathan McCullum and providing Kyle Mills with an easy catch on the boundary.
Skipper Shahid Afridi tried to steady his team but threw away his wicket stepping away from the stumps in an attempt to scoop a full toss from Southee over fine leg.
Abdul Razzaq had more success after being dropped by McCullum on two, going on to make 34 off 11 balls, including three sixes.
James Franklin was the best of the New Zealand bowlers, taking two for 12.
Pakistan on Thursday defeated New Zealand by 103 runs in the third Twenty20 match in Christchurch.
Earlier, Pakistan had scored 183 for six after electing to bat first. Shahid Afridi had won the toss and elected to bat first.
Scott Styris top scored for New Zealand with 45 runs, with Afridi taking four wickets for fourteen runs.
Openers Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez went after New Zealand's bowlers from the outset, scoring at a rate of almost 10 an over for a partnership of 81 to give Pakistan their best start of the series.
With the three-match series already decided in New Zealand's favour, Shehzad threw off the shackles and raced to 27 after three overs, punishing short-pitched deliveries from 18-year-old New Zealand paceman Adam Milne.
He was similarly dismissive when Tim Southee was called into the attack, hitting four boundaries off his first over.
Hafeez made a slower start but was keeping the scoreboard humming with 34 from 23 balls before mistiming a wide pitched delivery from James Franklin and falling to a leaping one-handed catch from Ross Taylor.
Shehzad followed in Franklin's next over, trapped lbw for 54 off 34 balls.
Pakistan then hit a mid-innings wobble as Younis Khan was run out for five and Asad Shafiq was dismissed for eight after charging Nathan McCullum and providing Kyle Mills with an easy catch on the boundary.
Skipper Shahid Afridi tried to steady his team but threw away his wicket stepping away from the stumps in an attempt to scoop a full toss from Southee over fine leg.
Abdul Razzaq had more success after being dropped by McCullum on two, going on to make 34 off 11 balls, including three sixes.
James Franklin was the best of the New Zealand bowlers, taking two for 12.