Pakistan have put some pep into their New Zealand tour, spectacularly pole-axing the hosts last night.
New Zealand were slayed for 80 off 15.5 overs, their worst Twenty20 total, to lose by a whopping 103 runs.
The tourists, who had already lost the series, rattled up their best total against
New Zealand, 183 for six, then knocked over the first four batsmen for ducks - which would have had the statisticians busily thumbing their books.
Coming after a couple of positive displays, this was awful; inaccurate fast-medium bowling - 137 runs leaked from 12 overs - followed by witless batting.
A bad aberration or something worse? Time will tell, but whichever way you look at it, this was shabby cricket allround.
Martin Guptill got a leading edge to backward point; Jesse Ryder sent debutant Tanvir Ahmed's third ball straight up in the air; Dean Brownlie ran himself out, beaten by Shahid Afridi's fine direct hit from extra cover, and Ross Taylor was lbw on a hairline call.
It took 14 balls for the first run off a New Zealand bat. When James Franklin swung aimlessly to give man of the match Razzaq a third wicket, making it 11 for five, and later 36 for six, New Zealand were a royal chance to slip under the all-time worst - Kenya's 67 against Ireland two years ago.
New Zealand's previous lowest was 81 against Sri Lanka in Florida seven months ago. Take out Scott Styris' 45 and do the maths.
Pakistan had no issues with the drop-in pitch - the same one on which New Zealand and Australia made 214 apiece last summer - off to a flyer thanks to openers Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez.
Maybe 19-year-old Shehzad was unhappy that some clown had misspelled his name on his shirt. Being called Ahamd, if only for a night, could do that, so figuring out quickly the pitch was full of runs, he filled his boots against a wonky New Zealand fast-medium attack.
Three fours were clumped to mid wicket in Adam Milne's first over, 17 off Tim Southee's first.
Backing up too far at the non-strikers' end had Kyle Mills stop in his delivery stride and give his best hard glare. Having just been walloped for three successive fours by Hafeez probably didn't help Mills' humour.
But 76 for none after seven overs plunged to 100 for three six overs later. Not that it mattered last night.
Franklin and Nathan McCullum excepted, too often New Zealand's bowling was covered in pastry.
McCullum maintained New Zealand's sharp fielding of the series with a direct hit from short mid wicket to run out Younis Khan - then misjudged a skier off veteran hitter Razzaq and spilled the chance. On other, tighter nights, it would have been crucial.
Razzaq responded by merrily thumping 6, dot, 6, 4, 6, 4, 4 in successive deliveries and was largely responsible for 38 coming off the last two overs.
Milne had the consolation of his maiden international wicket in the final over.
New Zealand's Dean Brownlie fails to make his ground last night. Photo / Getty Images
Pakistan have put some pep into their New Zealand tour, spectacularly pole-axing the hosts last night.
New Zealand were slayed for 80 off 15.5 overs, their worst Twenty20 total, to lose by a whopping 103 runs.
The tourists, who had already lost the series, rattled up their best total against
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