Sunday 14 December 2014 21:15, UK
Opener Ahmed Shehzad made a fine century as Pakistan defeated New Zealand by 147 runs in Sharjah to go 2-1 up in the five-match series.
Shehzad contributed 113 and stand-in skipper Shahid Afridi smashed 55 off 26 balls as Pakistan posted a huge total of 364-7 before New Zealand were dismissed for 217.
New Zealand continued to rotate their side as the World Cup approaches and then found their bowlers being despatched to all parts of the ground after captain Kane Williamson lost the toss for the third successive time in the series.
Pakistan openers Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez (33 off 26) smashed 63 runs off the first 47 balls of the innings before Corey Anderson had Hafeez caught behind.
However, Shehzad was then involved in stands of 70 with Younis Khan (35) and Asad Shafiq (23).
Shehzad pulled, cut and drove to great effect as he scored the sixth ODI century of his career, enjoying a reprieve on 92 when wicket-keeper Luke Ronchi could not snare a low edge off Anderson.
The Pakistan opener hit 12 boundaries and two sixes in his 120-ball knock before he was third man out, caught when he mistimed a pull off Matt Henry (3-69), who then bowled Shafiq next ball.
However, that just set the stage for Afridi, who will be leading Pakistan for the final three matches of the series because Misbah-ul-Haq has a hamstring injury.
Having promoted himself to number five in the order, Afridi hit six boundaries and three sixes in his explosive innings, adding 89 for the fifth wicket with Haris Sohail (39 off 28) from just 46 balls.
The duo fell to Williamson catches as they looked for quick runs and Umar Akmal was run out for a first-ball duck but Sarfraz Ahmed hammered 30 off 14 balls and Sohail Tanvir (17 not out) added a pair of late sixes.
Anderson finished with 1-96 after the final over of the innings went for 22 and Pakistan’s total was their third highest in one-day internationals.
New Zealand’s bid for an unlikely victory began badly when Anton Devcich was caught behind by Ahmed off Mohammad Irfan (2-26) in the second over for a duck.
The same bowler then had Martin Guptill (12) caught by Afridi and Ross Taylor arrived to hit a breezy 31 off 25 before he was bowled by the Pakistan captain (3-37).
Williamson (46) and Tom Latham (34) added 49 for the fourth wicket, only for the New Zealand skipper to give left-arm spinner Haris Sohail a return catch, making it 115-4
Sohail (3-45) then went on to remove James Neesham and Nathan McCullum and, although Ronchi managed a battling 41 off 40, he was last man out, clean bowled by Afridi.
