New Zealand recorded a consolation 47-run win against Pakistan in the fifth and final one-day international in Karachi Sunday, despite the valiant effort of Iftikhar Ahmed.
Iftikhar was stranded on an unbeaten 72-ball 94, featuring eight fours and a couple of sixes, as the hosts were eventually all out for 252 in 46.1 overs in pursuit of 300 as the series ended 4-1 in favor of Pakistan.
Middle-order batter Agha Salman scored a run-a-ball 57 while opener Fakhar Zaman made a painstaking 64-ball 33.
Seamer Henry Shipley and spinner Rachin Ravindra bagged three wickets each for the visitors.
Earlier, opening batter Will Young and captain Tom Latham cracked solid half centuries as New Zealand were bowled out for 299 in 49.3 overs.
New Zealand's innings was built around Young's 91-ball 87 and a 58-ball 59 from Latham after the visitors won the toss and opted to bat at National stadium.
The match marked Pakistan skipper Babar Azam's 100th ODI in a glorious career which began in 2015.
New Zealand lost Tom Blundell for 15 and then Henry Nicholls for 23 before Young steadied the innings during his 74-run third wicket stand with Latham.
Young hit eight boundaries and two sixes and was looking set for a hundred but was smartly caught by wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan off leg-spinner Shadab Khan in the 30th over.
Mark Chapman upped the tempo with a breezy 33-ball 43 with two sixes and five boundaries, adding 56 for the fourth wicket with Latham.
Chapman was unlucky to be caught behind off the glove as he tried to sweep Shadab to leg side.
He took 22 off one over from spinner Agha.
Latham also holed out off spinner Usama Mir in the 42nd over after hitting five boundaries.
Ravindra (28) and Cole McConchie (26) added useful runs.
For Pakistan Shaheen Shah Afridi took 3/46 while Mir and Shadab took two wickets apiece.
The two sides earlier drew the five-match Twenty20 international series 2-2.
5TH ODI
New Zealand 299 in 49.3 overs (Young 87, Latham 59, Chapman 43, Afridi 3/46) beat Pakistan 252 in 46.1 overs (Iftikhar 94*, Agha 57, Shipley 3/34, Ravindra 3/65) by 47 runs
