A rollicking 99 not out by Mitch Hay lifted New Zealand to 292-8 in the second one-day international against Pakistan in Hamilton on Wednesday.
Hay’s lusty hitting snapped New Zealand’s mid-innings doldrums as he raced to a career-best score which included 22 off the final over by Mohammad Wasim.
The wicketkeeper-batsman smacked seven fours and as many sixes in his 78-ball innings after going into the middle with the hosts struggling at 132-5 in the 27th over.
New Zealand won the opening game in the three-match series by 73 runs, having triumphed 4-1 in the preceding T20 series.
Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and opted to bowl with overcast skies and a green-tinged wicket, favouring the bowlers.
But it was the novice Black Cap openers Nick Kelly and Rhys Mariu who took control early.
Their flying start posted 50 in six overs before Kelly, in only his second international, was caught behind for a hard-hitting 31, which included four fours and two sixes.
After a confident start by debutant Mariu, he appeared unsettled by Kelly’s dismissal.
He was dropped on 16 and eventually went for 18 off 25 when a leading edge lobbed up to Babar Azam at mid-off in Mohammad Wasim’s opening over.
Wasim and Haris Rauf slowed the scoring, and it took Henry Nicholls and Daryl Mitchell until the 16th over to get New Zealand to the 100 mark.
The introduction of spin brought Mitchell’s innings to a halt for 18.
He danced down the wicket to Sufyan Moqim’s fifth delivery and was beaten by the flight, leaving wicketkeeper Rizwan with a simple stumping.
Nicholls went for 22 in the following over, trapped in front by an in-swinger from Akif Javed to have New Zealand 102-4 in the 17th over.
Michael Bracewell and Muhammad Abbas added only 30 runs in the next 10 overs when Bracewell was caught behind off Wasim for 17.
Pakistan-born Abbas and Hay set about restoring the innings with a patient 77-run partnership until Abbas was caught at mid-wicket off Moqim for 41.
Nathan Smith fell for eight and Ben Sears for six.
Moqim was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with 2-33, while Wasim took 2-78.
Pakistan contributed to the New Zealand total with 20 wides among 32 extras.
