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Brendon McCullum - Source: Reuters -
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A century by man of the match Brendon McCullum and a three
wicket two over burst by Scott Styris propelled New Zealand to a 64
run victory over Pakistan in the second one day international in
Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
McCullum slammed 131 off 129 balls to anchor New Zealand's innings
of 303-8 on a flat pitch before Styris with three wickets for 23
runs sparked a middle-order collapse which saw Pakistan bowled out
for 239, leaving the three-match series tied at 1-1.
New Zealand lost the first match by 138 runs on Wednesday and the
decider will be played overnight Monday (NZ time).
Captain Daniel Vettori was pleased with the team's fightback.
"We talked about some key things from the last game that we needed
to improve on and we came out today and did them exceptionally
well."
Vettori said McCullum and Martin Guptill, 62, had given the New
Zealand innings impetus with a good partnership and the team had
bowled well.
Fielding had also boosted the team's performance.
"It can make such a difference to the way the bowlers feel and it
can turn games around. In particular Ross Taylor's catches and
Martin Guptill's run outs made such a huge difference and means you
only have to take seven or eight wickets when you have fielders
like that."
McCullum said it was important that he kicked on after he posted
his half century as he had often been guilty of not finishing off
promising starts in his innings.
Pakistan captain Younus Khan said the McCullum-Guptill partnership
was the key for New Zealand.
"Actually they had a good partnership and when we batted we lost
crucial wickets, especially to Styris," he said.
"McCullum was superb today."
Styris' three wickets plus the run out of opener Salman Butt for 59
meant Pakistan lost four wickets for 10 runs and left it tottering
at 134-5 in the 31st over.
Butt and Khalid Latif gave Pakistan a 77-run start until Vettori
had the latter trapped in front for 45.
Khan, 19, fell to a spectacular one-handed catch from Ross Taylor
at short midwicket at 124-2, then Shahid Afridi, promoted to No 4,
clipped the second ball he faced to Taylor. Kamran Akmal hit
straight to Martin Guptill at cover in the next over for Styris'
third wicket.
Alongside Styris, Vettori bowled a tidy spell to finish with 2-37
from his 10 overs.
McCullum hit 14 fours and three sixes in his second one day
century, and featured in three good partnerships, the best being
126 for the second wicket with Guptill.
McCullum added 64 for the fifth wicket with Vettori, 30, and 56
with Jacob Oram, 33 not out, for the seventh wicket before playing
on to a delivery from paceman Umar Gul.
