HAMILTON, New Zealand: Pace bowler Adam Milne claimed four wickets as New Zealand beat Pakistan by 21 runs in the second Twenty20 international Sunday to take a 2-0 series lead.
The tourists threw away a strong position in their run chase after Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman scored half-centuries as they were dismissed for 173 in the final over, in response to New Zealand’s 194-8.
Victory came at a cost for the Black Caps, whose captain Kane Williamson retired hurt with a hamstring injury while batting, placing him in doubt for the remainder of the five-match series.
The match bore similarities to New Zealand’s 46-run win in the opening match in Auckland on Friday, with another aggressive batting approach led from the top by Finn Allen. His 70 off 41 balls continued a run of form which the hard-hitting opener attributed to a change of approach.
“I’ve been working hard on assessing conditions and choosing when to pull the trigger,” Allen said.
“I’m always looking to score boundaries and be positive but it’s situational. It’s when to take a higher-risk option or a lower risk.”
The target looked within sight for Pakistan before Fakhar was bowled by Milne for a power-packed 50 off 25 balls in the 10th over, leaving Pakistan 97-3.
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