KARACHI: Glenn Phillips’s brilliant knock helped New Zealand beat Pakistan in the third and final one-day international (ODI) by two wickets in Karachi on Friday to take the series 2-1.
Phillips scored an unbeaten 63 off 42 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes, as New Zealand chased down a target of 281 within 11 balls remaining. Opener Devon Conway (52) and captain Kane Williamson (53) also made telling contributions.
The touring side had a decent start to their run chase as openers Finn Allen and Devon Conway provided an important 43-run partnership before Allen got run out in the eighth over after scoring a run-a-ball 25.
Following the dismissal, Conway and skipper Kane Williamson anchored the run chase with a gritty partnership and took New Zealand to over the 100-run mark before Agha Salman picked up his maiden ODI wicket and provided a much-needed breakthrough to Pakistan.
Conway scored 52 off 65 deliveries, laced with five boundaries and a six.
Earlier, opener Fakhar Zaman cracked a brilliant hundred to lift Pakistan to 280-9. The left-hander scored a 122-ball 101 with 10 boundaries and a six after Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat at the National Stadium.
Zaman lifted Pakistan from 21-2 during a third-wicket stand of 154 off 161 balls with Mohammad Rizwan, who made a polished 74-ball 77 with six boundaries.
Azam, who had two half-centuries in the first two matches, was stumped by Tom Latham off-spinner Michael Bracewell in the seventh over.
It was left to Zaman to build the innings and he took a sharp single to reach his eighth hundred, his first three-figure ODI score in Pakistan.
Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi broke the stand by bowling Rizwan, while Zaman was run out as he tried to steal a sharp single.
Agha Salman hit out in the final overs, scoring a 43-ball 45 with a six and four boundaries.
Haris Sohail made 22 as Pakistan scored 49 in the last five overs, losing four wickets.
New Zealand pacer Tim Southee finished with 3-56.
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Shan Masood, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Haris Sohail, Agha Salman, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson (capt), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson
