New Zealand beat Pakistan to complete 2-0 series whitewash

Hamilton, Nov 29 (IANS) New Zealand took nine wickets in a dramatic last session to seal a 2-0 series whitewash as Pakistan's cricket team collapsed against the second new ball to slump to a 138-run defeat at the Seddon Park here on Tuesday.

When the final session began, the draw seemed the likeliest result by far, and a New Zealand win perhaps less likely than a Pakistan win.

With a minimum of 34 overs left, Pakistan needed 211, with nine wickets in hand. Those nine wickets fell in the space of 24.3 overs, the last six to the second new ball in the space of 11 overs.

Pakistan had chased down two 300-plus targets in the last two years, both times against Sri Lanka -- 302 in two sessions in Sharjah, and 377 in Pallekele. But here on Tuesday, chasing 369, Azhar Ali and Sami Aslam added 131 for the first wicket in 60 overs to set them a platform for a similar finish.

But that was not to be as Neil Wagner polished off the tail quickly after Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee did the work at the top.

Sami Aslam did his cause a world of good with a fighting 91 runs with Azhar Ali also chipping in with 58. But once those two fell, it was downhill for the visitors.

Brief scores: New Zealand 271 & 313 beat Pakistan 216 & 230 all out (Sami Aslam 91, Azhar Ali 58; Neil Wagner 3/57) by 138 runs.

--IANS

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