New Zealand have cruised to a nine-wicket win in the second Twenty20 cricket international against Pakistan at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
Mohammad Hafeez Photo: Photosport
After Pakistan won the toss and made 163-6, the Black Caps looked well in control for much of their innings, reaching their target with four balls to spare.
The victory gives New Zealand a 2-0 lead in the three-match series, after Friday's five-wicket win in Auckland. The third game is on Tuesday in Napier.
The win was set up by a mammoth 128-run second-wicket partnership between Tim Seifert and skipper Kane Williamson, returning to the team after the birth of his first child.
Martin Guptill and Seifert put on 35 for the first wicket, Guptill making 21 off 11 balls before his dismissal midway through the fourth over.
Seifert went on to compile an unbeaten 84 off 63 balls which included eight fours and three sixes while Williamson was 57 not out off 42.
Tim Southee led the New Zealand bowling effort, finishing with figures of 4-21, and grabbing two wickets in his first over.
He tempted Haider Ali with a full deilvery which he miscued and lofted to Kane Williamson at mid-off, then Abdullah Shafique top edged back to Southee for a simple catch two balls later.
Southee, rested for the first T20 two days ago, continued to pitch the ball up and took his third wicket when Mohammad Rizwan edged through to keeper Tim Seifert for 22 off 20 balls.
Jimmy Neesham kept the pressure on for the Black Caps, removing captain Shadab Khan for four with the second ball of his first over. Shadab's cramped pull shot made it to midwicket where Southee took the simple catch.
Mohammad Hafeez and Khushdil Shah put on 63 for the fifth wicket, with Hafeez particularly destructive after he was dropped at fine leg by Devon Conway in the 15th over.
Khushdil fell for 14 in the next over, caught on the boundary by Martin Guptill off Ish Sodhi, but Hafeez continued his destructive innings, his unbeaten 99 off 57 balls including 10 fours and five sixes.
