Cricket: Pakistan thrash Black Caps by 102 runs to lead five-match series 4-0

Black Caps all-rounder James Neesham is bowled by Pakistan's Haris Rauf. Photo / AP

The Black Caps are facing a series whitewash against Pakistan after crashing to a 102-run defeat in the fourth ODI in Karachi.

Babar Azam’s 107 off 117 balls propelled Pakistan to 334-6 before an under-strength New Zealand stumbled to 232 all out, their lowest total of the series.

Victory lifted Pakistan to top spot on the ODI world rankings and left the tourists looking to avoid a sweep in the final ODI, starting on Sunday night (NZT).

“It’s frustrating — you don’t want to be 4-0 down — but you have to give kudos to the way Pakistan have been playing,” said seamer Matt Henry. “They’re No 1 in the world at the moment and they’re in their home conditions. They’ve been able to adapt to these conditions and put the squeeze on at key moments.”

Henry, one of the few players on tour likely to be in a first-choice XI at this year’s World Cup, struck early to dismiss Fakhar Zaman after Pakistan had been asked to bat.

His run out of Mohammad Rizwan reduced the hosts to 128-3 in the 25th over, but that brought together Azam and Agha Salman who responded with a 117-run stand.

Salman dominated the spinners with sweep shots as he hit 58 off 46 balls, before Henry removed him with a brilliant low one-handed catch off his own bowling.

Azam completed his century and became the quickest batsman to reach 5000 ODI runs, needing 97 innings to edge ahead of Hashim Amla (101).

The Pakistan skipper then holed out to give debutant quick Ben Lister his first ODI wicket, before Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Haris smashed 38 off the last two overs to set up an imposing target.

“The way [Azam] batted and constructed that innings, he was able to put us under pressure,” Henry said. “It was a good challenge for us, and I think we bowled well in periods, but Pakistan finished the innings off really strong.”

New Zealand were in a similar position to the hosts at the halfway stage of their chase, sitting on 129-3 after Daryl Mitchell’s dismissal in the 26th over.

Captain Tom Latham (60 off 76) and Mark Chapman (46 off 33) then tried to accelerate in the middle overs, but Latham’s demise triggered a collapse as the Black Caps lost their last seven wickets for 48 runs.

“We lost wickets at key times, and I suppose that was through the pressure that Pakistan were able to apply with the ball,” Henry said.

“They know these conditions very well and they know how to create pressure, and I think that’s probably been the difference in these games. The way Pakistan have played in their conditions, they’ve just been slightly ahead.”

The Black Caps will welcome back several reinforcements when they attempt to bridge that gap at the World Cup in India. And ahead of the final match of a tour that began with a 2-2 split in the T20 series, Henry said his teammates would be better for the experience.

“Coming here in different conditions, you want to test yourself against what is a really strong Pakistan side,” he said. “It’s a shame we haven’t had the success we wanted to, but we’ve grown in a lot of areas and have been able to give experience to a number of guys as well.

“Guys are learning, even though it’s never nice not to win.”

-with AP