Martin Guptill made 86 in an unbroken 104-run partnership with Ross Taylor which carried New Zealand to an eight-wicket win over Pakistan on Tuesday in the rain-affected second one-day international. Pakistan made 246/9 batting first after winning the toss and New Zealand was 64/2 after 14 overs when rain interrupted the match for more than two hours. When players returned, New Zealand had a revised target of 151 from 25 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis system and Guptill and Taylor (45 not out) guided it to 151/2 with seven balls remaining.
New Zealand lead the five-match series 2-0 after winning the first match, which was also decided under the Duckworth-Lewis system, by 61 runs.
Taylor and Guptill clubbed 87 runs from 9.5 overs after the resumption to steer New Zealand to a convincing win.
The match had been relatively evenly poised when the rain intervened. At 64/2, New Zealand had a good chance of overhauling the Pakistan total but it had lost key batsman Colin Munro for a duck to the third ball of the innings and captain Kane Williamson for 19.
The rain delay worked in favour of the batting team who, with eight wickets in hand, was always well-equipped for a shortened run chase.
"It was a brilliant performance," Williamson said. "I thought for the first half the guys were brilliant with the ball and then Pakistan showed some real resistance at the end and put some partnerships together to get what could have been a tricky little total on that surface."
Half-centuries by Mohammad Hafeez and by tailenders Shadab Khan and Hasan Ali allowed Pakistan to reach a moderately competitive total after it was set back by early wickets.
Pakistan slumped to 39/3 before Hafeez made 60 and added 45 for the third wicket with Shoaib Malik (27) to steady the innings.
The tourists were 127/6 when Hafeez was out in the 32nd over and looked likely to fall well below a par score at Saxton Oval where teams batting first in ODIs average 260.
But Hasan Ali blasted 51 from 31 balls, his highest score in any form of cricket, and put on 70 for the eighth wicket with Shadab who went on to 52 from 68 balls, matching his highest score in ODIs.
That gave Pakistan a total to defend and their hopes were raised when Munro was out in the first over and Williamson (19) fell to a brilliant catch by Shadab off Faheem Ashraf.
The next match is at Dunedin on Saturday.
"It was a very disappointing performance," Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed said. "I think our batting is not performing well, but our lower order batted very well so we were in with a chance."
(With AP Inputs)
