HAMILTON, New Zealand, (Reuters) – Nathan McCullum took four wickets, including two in two balls, as New Zealand wrapped up a Twenty20 series victory over Pakistan with a 39-run win in their second match at Seddon Park today.
Off-spinner McCullum, principally bowling around the wicket, cleverly varied his pace, flight and angles to bamboozle the Pakistani batsmen, and finished with figures of 4-16 off his four overs and the man of the match award.
Pakistan opener Mohammad Hafeez had looked set to anchor the visitors’ run chase of 186 for victory, racing through to 46 before Umar Akmal called him through for a second run, stopped mid-pitch, and left the 30-year-old stranded and glaring back at the youngster as Peter McGlashan removed the bails.
Hafeez’s dismissal came just one ball after Ahmed Shehzad had been well caught in the deep by Scott Styris for 15 after the pair had combined for a 44-run second wicket partnership and seemingly set to provide a launch pad for their batters.
New Zealand opener Martin Guptill followed up his 54 in the first match on Sunday with 44 and shared in a 91-run second wicket partnership with James Franklin (40), while Scott Styris smashed a blistering 34 from 14 balls.
Wicketkeeper McGlashan (26) provided some late excitement with his innovative batting producing 24 runs, including two reverse slaps for six, from the first five deliveries in the 18th over by Umar Gul, who bowled a bouncer on the final ball to concede only a bye.
Captain Ross Taylor finished 30 not out while off-spinner Saeed Ajmal finished with 3-35, which included two wickets in New Zealand’s final over.
New Zealand won the first game in Auckland by five wickets, with the final match in the series scheduled for Thursday in Christchurch.
