Pakistan have beaten the Black Caps by 42 runs in Christchurch in the fifth and final T20 match between the nations to finally break their losing streak.
They did it in style too, with an excellent bowling and fielding performance at Hagley Oval in defending what had appeared to be an under-par 134-8.
Pakistan’s total is the lowest 20-over total any team has successfully defended in T20 internationals in New Zealand.
New Zealand were dismissed for 92, their second worst T20 batting performance at home (the previous worst, 80, was also against Pakistan in 2010), and it came in front of another sellout crowd following a similarly full venue in the city on Friday night.
Spin bowling did the damage for Pakistan; they bowled 12 overs of it among the 17.2 sent down, with part-timer Iftikar Ahmed taking career best figures of 3-24.
With the required run rate soaring and New Zealand losing regular wickets, the hard-hitting Glenn Phillips was the home side’s best chance of an unlikely win before he was caught on the boundary in the 18th over for 26 off 22 balls.
The Black Caps’ final batter, Lockie Ferguson, was bowled next ball by Pakistan skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi and that was that.
Man-of-the-series Finn Allen was New Zealand’s next best on the day with 22 off 19 balls but, while he hit two sixes, he couldn’t get going and that was representative of the entire batting line-up.
Mark Chapman had a particularly difficult afternoon, dropping two catches and being run out for 1.
The Black Caps would have felt the series clean sweep was on at the change of innings after restricting Pakistan to 134 but the reality was the tourists made better use of what was a relatively slow and turning pitch.
“The pitch slowed down a lot and we were pretty happy with the score,” skipper Mitchell Santner said afterwards.
“We just got outplayed in the second innings. The power play was very important on a slow wicket. We talk about trying to take it deep but it's good learning.”
Tim Southee had the best bowling figures of 2-19, with Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry and Ferguson also claiming two wickets each.
Opener Mohammad Rizwan (38), was the game’s highest scorer, with Fakhar Zaman threatening in hitting four sixes before being dismissed for 33 off 16 balls by Southee.
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