Tim Seifert's 84 not out trumped an unbeaten 99 by Mohammad Hafeez as New Zealand claimed the second Twenty20 against Pakistan by nine wickets in Hamilton Sunday to take the series with a game to spare.
The Black Caps chased down Pakistan's 163 for six with four balls to spare, after winning the first game in Auckland by five wickets.
Kane Williamson, back in the side after paternity leave, hit the winning runs with a boundary to be not out 57 but said the game was all about the bowling of man-of-the-match Tim Southee and the batting of Seifert and Hafeez.
Seifert faced 63 balls for his 84, while Hafeez was in destructive form, which he attributed to taking up golf, as he plundered 99 from 57 deliveries while Southee restricted the remaining Pakistan batsmen with four for 21.
Opener Seifert batted through the innings and although denied a century because of the quality of his partners, he did match his career-best 84 against India last year.
New Zealand cruised to a five-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Twenty20 in Auckland's Eden Park Friday.
Posted by Sports Tribune on Friday, 18 December 2020
He put on 35 for the first wicket with Martin Guptill, who was out for 21, and shared in a 129-run stand with Williamson.
The 40-year old Hafeez, out first ball in Auckland, was almost on his own for Pakistan with a career-best 99 which included 10 fours and five sixes.
It was his fourth half-century from six innings in the past year and he put the consistency down to taking up golf.
Mohammad Rizwan's 22 was the next best score for Pakistan and captain Shadab Khan put the lack of a decent total down to his players not adapting to New Zealand conditions.
Southee was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers with four for 21.
