Pakistan set New Zealand a challenging total for victory in the third Twenty20 in Christchurch after an explosive opening partnership and some late Abdul Razzaq fireworks propelled them to 183, despite a mini collapse in the middle overs. Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez capitalised on errant lengths from the New Zealand pacemen to get the innings underway, and an 11-ball Razzaq special launched Pakistan to a total that seemed far out of reach, mid-way through the 19th over.
Pakistan were away with a boundary off the first ball for the third match running, but this time the openers ensured the start wasn't wasted with an 81-run partnership. Shehzad smashed Adam Milne for three consecutive boundaries in his second over, before repeating the dose for Tim Southee soon after. The mid-wicket fence was pinged repeatedly as Shehzad got under anything on a length, but he was good enough to cash in on the fuller deliveries as well, sending them rocketing through cover.
Hafeez didn't take too long to get going either, unfurling his own repertoire of aggressive strokes, including an over-the-shoulder scoop off Mills and a wristy leg-side swat which sailed into the stands. The pair brought up the fifty in 4.5 overs and pummeled 14 boundaries during the fielding restrictions to set Pakistan racing towards an impressive total, but the New Zealand slow bowlers were on hand to haul back the run-rate once the field spread.
Nathan McCullum's first over cost four runs and the wickets began to tumble in the middle as the run-rate dived. Hafeez couldn't quite clear Ross Taylor at extra cover, and another tight over from McCullum had Shehzad attempting to resume the frenetic pace against James Franklin. He was caught plumb in front though, immediately after he had reached his fifty. Younis Khan was run out having set out for a suicidal single and Asad Shafiq perished shortly after, trying to hit out after using up 15 deliveries to score eight runs.
Shahid Afridi came and went, making a quickfire 14 in the process, and Umar Akmal picked the gaps intelligently to increase the scoring rate once the fast men had been reintroduced, but it was Razzaq who propelled Pakistan beyond 180. Having been dropped on two in the penultimate over, Razzaq never looked back, launching boundary after incredible boundary, in a stunning display of power hitting. Thirty-one runs came off the last nine balls, and an awestruck Milne watched on as he was swatted to the fence and over it, despite his best efforts to vary the pace and hit the blockhole.
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