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Summary
New Zealand 262/7 (50 ov) Pakistan 264/8 (49.0 ov) Pakistan won by 2 wickets (with 6 balls remaining) Pakistan continued to show they are masters of making mountains out of molehills, but Misbah-ul-Haq's supremely paced innings and Sohail Tanvir's nerveless hitting took them to a tense win in Napier that puts them 2-1 up. New Zealand had earlier showed the benefits of stacking their side with allrounders as they recovered from an all-too-familiar top-order collapse to post a respectable total but it didn't prove enough. On a pancake-flat track and with McLean Park's short boundaries and a quick outfield to assist them, Pakistan looked to be gliding towards victory when Misbah and Younis Khan played safety-first cricket to take them to 173 for 3 in 37 overs. With the batting Powerplay in hand, two set batsmen at the crease and a host of heavy-hitters to follow, New Zealand seemed down and out. The first blip was the run-out of Younis who slipped when attempting to make his ground after tipping the ball to point. The new batsman, Umar Akmal, meandered to 10 when the Powerplay was taken. As has the case in recent matches, the Powerplay resulted in immediate wickets: Umar holed out to extra cover and Shahid Afridi was trapped in front. With Pakistan at198 for 6, New Zealand were back in it. The match swung again in the next over as Abdul Razzaq clubbed a mighty six, and Misbah calmly picked off two effortless, wristy boundaries as Tim Southee went for 17. New Zealand clawed back again when Hamish Bennett had Razzaq skying a catch to Vettori in the 47th over. Twenty-four needed off the final three overs - enough time for more twists. Misbah, yet again, seemed to have sealed it when he slammed Scott Styris beyond midwicket on the first ball of the 48th, and then followed it up with a punch past mid-on for four. No. 10 Wahab Riaz then decided to go for glory instead of turning over the strike to Misbah, and his swipe ballooned to the keeper. Two wickets remained, and there was a genuine threat of Pakistan being bowled out. Tanvir then showed that though his bowling isn't at the level it was before his back injury, his hitting retains the ferocity of old. He forehanded three fours in the penultimate over from Southee to sew up the victory with six balls remaining. Tanvir may applied the finishing touches but it was Misbah who had done the grunt work earlier on. When Pakistan were wobbling at 84 for 3, Misbah and Younis had played old-fashioned cricket, stroking the ball into the gaps for singles to keep the required rate in check. Their 89-run partnership had put Pakistan in charge, before the slew of wickets led to an exciting denouement. It was Misbah's finest one-day effort, and his first significant contribution in the format in a long time. With 18 days to go for the World Cup, Pakistan are still without a captain, and this series hasn't made the decision easier for the selectors. Afridi was panned after the heavy defeat in the first match, then praised after his electric half-century in the Christchurch victory, and Misbah has now pushed his case with this match-winning innings. New Zealand's top-order had perished to some daft shots, and Pakistan's batsmen continued that trend to keep the game balanced halfway through the chase in Napier. The visitors had their elder statesmen in the middle-order, Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, were steadily setting the stage for the explosive but unpredictable trio of Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Abdul Razzaq to take over. Pakistan made a bright start to the chase, with Ahmed Shehzad smashing four fours in the first three overs. Mohammad Hafeez also began to cut loose after offspinner Nathan McCullum was brought into the attack as early as the sixth over - but he fell to an outstanding leaping catch from Ross Taylor at first slip. Shehzad kept the boundary-count high, stepping out to launch Daniel Vettori over long-off for six and with Kamran Akmal peppering the off-side rope, Pakistan were coasting along. Both though fell to tame shots to short midwicket - Shehzad flicking and Kamran sweeping - to let New Zealand claw back into the game. That brought together Misbah and Younis who hit no boundaries but took the singles to prepare Pakistan for a late onslaught. (courtesy:Cricinfo)
