Black Caps bounce back to win second ODI in Sharjah

With World Cup spots on the line, New Zealand fast bowlers Matt Henry, Adam Milne and Mitchell McClenaghan all staked strong claims as New Zealand squared the one-day series against Pakistan this morning.

The three quicks did all the damage as Pakistan was bowled out for 252 in the second one-day international at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, a chase made to look effortless thanks to a staunch opening stand by Anton Devcich and Dean Brownlie and a responsible, unbeaten, polished innings from captain Kane Williamson.

New Zealand won by four wickets, making 255-6. It was the first time in 11 attempts New Zealand has beaten Pakistan at Sharjah and the five-match series is level at 1-1.

Henry and McClenaghan were called in for the injured Kyle Mills and spinner Nathan McCullum and justified their places with a strong display of aggression and control to match the blistering speed of Milne, who again clocked deliveries consistently around 145kph, with the quickest clocking 151kph.

Henry grabbed 4-45 and was responsible for the early Pakistan collapse. He struck twice in his opening spell - Ahmed Shehzad caught behind and Asad Shafiq bowled between bat and pad - to help reduce Pakistan to 20-3.

He later removed key batsmen in the shape of top-scorer Mohammad Hafeez, who made 76, and captain Misbah-ul-Haq, for 47.

Misbah wasn't happy with English umpire Richard Illingworth's decision to give him out caught behind, suggesting the ball had come off his forearm, and called for the decision to be reviewed but the third umpire could find no reason to keep him in the middle.

The second over, bowled by McClenaghan, was one of the more unusual - he dismissed Younis Khan with the first and last balls of the over. He thought he had Younis lbw off the first ball only to find that he had bowled a no-ball by a large margin. But he got his revenge at the end of the over with Younis caught at slip by Ross Taylor.

McClenaghan ended Pakistan's innings in the 49th over with two wickets in three balls, to finish with 3-56.

New Zealand made a rock solid start to their chase with Devcich and Brownlie pacing the innings beautifully. They chased anything short or wide and consistently found the boundary as they put on a century stand for the first wicket.

Brownlie took a particular liking to the wobbly line of paceman Wahab Riaz, who wavered between bowling too close to the pads or too wide, at one stage taking four boundaries from him in the space of 10 balls.

Brownlie and Devcich bought up a century stand in the 18th over, which signalled the drinks break, and with it a break in Brownlie's concentration as two balls later he was bowled by Shahid Afridi's infamous slider, dismissed for 47 which was almost double his previous highest score in one-day internationals.

Devcich, who really is fighting for his place in the World Cup team, brought up his maiden ODI half-century off 54 balls, including seven fours.

But his bustling innings came to an end when he was guilty of ball watching and failed to heed Kane Williamson's call on a quick single. After a hesitation and a dive he was just caught short and was dismissed for 58 off 66 balls.

Ross Taylor, after an unbeaten century in the opening game, lasted only four balls this time, caught behind for two to reduce New Zealand to 137-3 in the 27th over.

After the bright start, things started to turn Pakistan's way when Tom Latham (3) holed out at long-on and Corey Anderson (10), after one six, dragged one on to his stumps as New Zealand stuttered to 167-5.

At this stage, with the Black Caps well ahead of the required run rate, a powerplay to come and Williamson settled, New Zealand just needed someone to stay with the skipper for longer than a few balls.

Luke Ronchi did just that, playing with contained aggression while Williamson patiently held the innings together.

The skipper brought up his half-century off 74 balls and a 50 partnership followed soon after as New Zealand turned the match back their way.

When Ronchi miscued one from Afridi and holed out for 36, with six boundaries, it left the Black Caps 225-6 but needing only 28 runs off 45 balls. In the end the runs came in a rush, four boundaries (two apiece to Williamson and Daniel Vettori) in five balls across the 44th and 45th overs sealing the win, which came with 24 balls remaining.

Williamson finished unbeaten on 70, his last shot a tough dropped catch by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

The match finished in slightly bizarre circumstances, Vettori trying to reverse paddle, the ball clipping the pad and running away for four leg byes.

But Pakistan asked for a decision review on a leg before wicket, which was turned down but not before an anti-climactic period of milling around without usual celebration associated with a win. (stuff.co.nz)

SCOREBOARD

Pakistan innings
Mohammed Hafeez c Latham b Henry 		76
Ahmed Shehzad c Ronchi b Henry 			00
Younis Khan c Taylor b McClenaghan 		06
Asad Shafiq b Henry 				01
Haris Sohail c Taylor b Anderson 		33
Misbah-ul-Haq c Ronchi b Henry 			47
Sarfraz Ahmed c Latham b McClenaghan 		23
Shahid Afridi c Vettori b Milne 		27
Wahab Riaz c Taylor b Milne 			14
Sohail Tanvir lbw b McClenaghan 		14
Mohammad Irfan not out 				00
Extras (lb 1, w 9, nb 1) 			11
TOTAL (all out; 48.3 overs) 		       252

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Shehzad), 2-11 (Khan), 3-20 (Shafiq)
		 4-97 (Sohail), 5-163 (Hafeez), 6-172 (Haq)
		 7-209 (Afridi), 8-231 (Riaz), 9-248 (Ahmed)
		 10-252 (Tanvir)
Bowling: Matt Henry 10-0-45-4
	 Mitchell McClenaghan 9.3-0-56-3
	 Adam Milne 10-0-53-2
	 Daniel Vettori 10-0-48-0
	 Anton Devcich 2-0-14-0
	 Corey Anderson 7-0-35-1

New Zealand innings
Dean Brownlie b Afridi 				47
Anton Devcich run out (Hafeez/Sohail) 		58
Kane Williamson not out 			70
Ros Taylor c Ahmed b Sohail 			02
Tom Latham c Tanvir b Sohail 			03
Corey Anderson b Sohail 			10
Luke Ronchi c Tanvir b Afridi 			36
Daniel Vettori not out 				13
Extras (lb 6, w 8, nb 2) 			16
TOTAL (6 wickets; 46 overs) 		       255

Fall of wickets: 1-103 (Brownlie), 2-129 (Devcich)
		 3-138 (Taylor), 4-148 (Latham)
		 5-167 (Anderson), 6-225 
Bowling: Sohail Tanvir 6-0-30-0
	 Mohammad Irfan 10-0-50-0
	 Wahab Riaz 9-0-58-0
	 Shahid Afridi 10-0-47-2
	 Haris Sohail 9-0-48-3
	 Ahmed Shehzad 1-0-7-0
	 Asad Shafiq 1-0-9-0