Pakistan beat New Zealnd by six wickets in 2nd T20 match; seal series

Pakistan hardly flinched as they bested New Zealand in the second T20 International to wrap up an 11th series win on the trot, and again with a game to spare.

Australia came and went and this time it was the Black Caps who felt the full might of the No.1 T20 side in the world, with Pakistan winning by six wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday night.

This was Pakistan's eighth consecutive T20 International victory and it was carved out from an all-round effort, which we have come to see more of from this side these days and, ever since Sarfraz Ahmed took over the captaincy in this format.

The 18-year-old tall left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who had gone wicketless in the first game in Abu Dhabi, returned with three for 20 on the night.

And after openers Fakhar Zaman, who returned to the line-up after recovering from a knee injury, and Babar Azam as well as Asif Ali had played their hands, Mohammad Hafeez celebrated his recall to the ODI squad against the Kiwis with a swashbuckling and unbeaten 21-ball 34.

And although the 154-run chase again went down to the last over with four needed from three balls, Hafeez creamed Adam Milne for a boundary to set off the celebrations.       

Earlier, New Zealand fired, misfired and then fired again on their way to 153 for seven after captain Kane Williamson felt his side were better off setting the marker following that heartbreak in Abu Dhabi.

It was a pretty decent total considering a great start and then a mini-collapse with Colin Munro and Corey Anderson making identical 44s with Williamson's 37 being a vital knock in the scheme of



things.  

Southpaw Munro, who has spent a considerable amount of time in the country after he featured in a title-winning cause with the Balkh Legends in the Afghanistan Premier League, put his skates on yet again.

He and partner Glenn Philips had rocketed the Kiwis to 50 in six overs before Pakistan pulled things back a bit.

The tall left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi gave the hosts the breakthrough, with Philips gobbled by Sarfraz Ahmed.

Munro who had blazed away left soon after, with Afridi and Sarfraz working together again. Those initial fireworks gave way to a bit of a lull as New Zealand tried to rebuild.

But once Pakistan got a whiff, they upped the ante with their energetic fielding and tidy bowling. Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim had Colin de Grandhomme lapped by by Shoaib Malik after which Asif Ali fired an inch perfect throw for Shadab Khan to run out Ross Taylor.

Williamson and Corey Anderson embarked to resuscitate their floundering innings and try and bring them back to life.

The pair put together 42 runs for the fifth wicket before Williamson became Afridi's third victim of the night. But it was not before the Kiwi skipper had made a patient 37 from 34 balls with two boundaries.

And Anderson and wicketkeeper-bat Tim Seifert ensured that Williamson work didn't go waste. The duo added 23 runs for the sixth wicket as New Zealand ended up with that total.