New Zealand took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series after defeating Pakistan by four runs as the latter failed to chase 179-run target in the fourth T20I played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.
Both sides will take on each other in the final match to be held on April 27.
Pakistan struggled at the start of the chase with captain Babar Azam (5) going back to the pavilion in the second over.
Young batters Saim Ayub (20) and Usman Khan (16) pushed to bat aggressively but were dismissed in quick succession.
Fakhar Zaman was joined by Shadab Khan (7) in the middle but the all-rounder couldn’t replicate his heroics from the last game.
Fakhar continued to stay from one end while Iftikhar Ahmed partnered with him. The duo added 61 runs but William O’Rourke struck in a key moment of the chase to put the home side on the back.
The visitors kept piling up the pressure by removing set-batter Fakhar, who scored 61 off 45 balls.
All-rounder Imad Wasim (22*) made an effort to take Pakistan across the finish line till the last delivery but the home side fell short by four runs and finish at 174/8.
O’Rourke was the pick of the bowlers for Black Caps, picking three wickets for 27 runs while Ben Sears took two for same number of runs.
Earlier, New Zealand posted a total of 178/7 after being put into bat first.
The visitors had a blazing start from openers Tim Robinson and Tom Blundell. The duo made 56 runs for the first wicket before Zaman Khan had the better of Blundell, who made 28 runs off 15 balls powered by five fours.
Robinson kept the charge from the other end with Dean Foxcroft joining him in the middle. The 21-year-old reached to his first T20I fifty before being dismissed on 51 by Abbas Afridi with the help of Iftikhar Ahmed, who took a great catch on the boundary.
The home side dominated in the middle over by bowling quiet overs and managed wickets of last match heroes Mark Chapman and Foxcroft.
Shadab Khan took a splendid catch to dismiss Chapman (9) on the bowling of Iftikhar Ahmed while Foxcroft (34) was undone by Usama Mir.
New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell looked to increase the strike rate in the last overs but he couldn’t get ahead of the plan of the Pakistan bowlers.
Bracewell, who made 27 off 20, was removed by Abbas while Josh Clarkson’s stumps were rattled on the following delivery. The emerging pacer finished as Pakistan’s best bowler, claiming 3/20.
The visitors finished on 178/7 with Mohammad Amir removing Ish Sodhi on the final ball of the innings.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Zaman Khan.
New Zealand: TA Blundell (wk), TB Robinson, D Foxcroft, MS Chapman, JDS Neesham, Michael Bracewell (c), JA Clarkson, Ish Sodhi, JA Duffy, BV Sears, W O’Rourke.
