11.30 pm That's all we have. Thanks for joining us. Goodnight
"It's down to the effort of the players. We have a good balance, wih Hasan Ali at 10. We know we can get 150-160. So if we start well and if we don't let too many dot balls in the middle, we have the experience of Hafeez and Malik as well," Sarfraz Ahmed says. "The boys know well how to play this game. And they're learning day by day. Whether it's Babar or Fakhar or Faheem, they know where to field in the last overs. They know how to bat in the last overs. I don't need to do anything. Babar is in great form. We pick players in form in domestic cricket, that's how we brought Hafeez back and he's been doing very well as well. Asif Ali at No. 3 is because he's a good hitter, but we don't want him to play spin when he comes in at first so we've pushed him up the order and he's playing very well
"Creidt to the way Pakistan played. They have a clear pattern of play which they've executed here in the UAE," Kane Williamson says. "Thought the first half was clinical from us. Got a good score on the board. It's a game of really small margins. Maybe we could have been a little better with the batting side. But it's important to be a little bit better all-round. You're always looking for wickets but how you get them on different conditions is the quesiton and often in these conditions you have to squeeze the opposition. We weren't far away and it's important we make those adjustments and keep improving"
Shaheen Afridi is Man of the Match for his 3 for 20 in four overs. "[Bowling in the death?] Thanks to Allah that I've been performing well in the games so far. The coaching staff are helping me get better, get fitter, they help me bowl yorkers better, slower balls better. You have to look at the batsman's weak zones and bowl, especially in the death, and then then I concentrate on the slower balls. In the Asia Cup, I bowled with new ball, so I can do that as well. I just want to play for a long time for Pakistan"
11.10 pm Pakistan have set the record - 11 successive series wins in T20Is. And they get there by keeping a clean sheet while chasing under Safraz Ahmed's captaincy. They haven't lost batting second in 11 T20Is. Some of that is down to the fact that their bowlers rarely allow the opposition to get too much on the board. Shaheen Afridi fulfilled that part of the Pakistan magic potion tonight. And on the batting front, even though the required rate was tipping towards 10, Mohammed Hafeez stood firm and knocked the runs off in fine style. They are the World's No. 1 team and they've shown it off.
New Zealand weren't too far off in this game either. They got a better than par score. But they just weren't accurate enough with the ball. On a slow pitch like this, you need to go slower balls, hit back of a length and most importantly, target the stumps. Never give room. Never slide down leg. Pakistan's bowlers are insane at this. For New Zealand though, only Tim Southee looked to have adapted to conditions. They'll take a couple of positives in the batting department - the form of Colin Munro and the reintegration of Corey Anderson, who really played a blinder tonight - but that match-winning spark seems to be missing.
Pakistan need six off four. They should do this... right?
Shoaib Malik c Phillips b Milne 10 (7b 0x4 1x6) SR: 142.85
END OF OVER:19 | 7 Runs | PAK: 147/3 (7 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 7.73, RRR: 7.00)
- Mohammad Hafeez27 (18b)
- Shoaib Malik10 (6b)
- Tim Southee4-0-26-1
- Colin Munro3-0-22-1
Pakistan need seven off six and Milne will bowl the last over
Jai Srivastava: "@Mark Dont be so harsh on NZ if they were poor today then why did the game stretched to the last over ?"
Khan Umar: "Hafeez and Imad are no myth. Had they been in Asia cup, it would have made a huge difference."
END OF OVER:18 | 9 Runs | PAK: 140/3 (14 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 7.77, RRR: 7.00)
- Mohammad Hafeez24 (14b)
- Shoaib Malik8 (4b)
- Colin Munro3-0-22-1
- Ish Sodhi4-0-39-0
Pakistan need 14 off 12
Mark: "You'd think that NZ would have improved their performance after the first T20 but they have been worse tonight in just about every aspect of their game. Very frustrating for their fans."
Chirag Sheth: "Performances like today's proves that Pakistan's winning track record in T20s is for a reason."
Ahsan Butt: "MOM for the 18-year kid, Shaheen Afridi, for sure."
Munro again. Can he push the asking rate higher?
END OF OVER:17 | 17 Runs | PAK: 131/3 (23 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.70, RRR: 7.66)
- Mohammad Hafeez22 (11b)
- Shoaib Malik1 (1b)
- Ish Sodhi4-0-39-0
- Colin Munro2-0-13-1
Pakistan need 23 off 18 now after that 17-run over.
Pakistan need only 32 from 22 after that very timely six from Hafeez