NEW DELHI: Tim Seifert top-scored with a quickfire 45 from 22 balls and Finn Allen slammed 38 from 16 to guide New Zealand to a comfortable five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the rain-hit second T20 international in Dunedin on Tuesday.
Chasing 136 for victory in 15 overs after the match was shortened due to rain, New Zealand cruised to an emphatic victory with 11 balls to spare to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Earlier, Captain Salman Agha scored 46 to rally Pakistan to 135/9 in their 15 overs after the start was delayed due to wet outfield.
After pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi started off with a maiden, Siefert and Allen launched a sensational assault, smashing seven off the next 12 balls for sixes.
Mohammad Ali, bowling the second over, was hit for three sixes by Allen in the second over and Seifert took Afridi to the cleaners with four sixes off the third over.
Seifert then hit Ali for a six and two fours in his second over before he perished after scoring 45 from 22 balls, to power New Zealand to 66/1 in five overs of Powerplay.
Allen continued to attack as he hit left-arm pacer Jahandad Khan for four and two sixes in the seventh over before he fell in the same over, after hitting 38 from 16 balls.
Though Pakistan chipped away at the wickets, New Zealand had no problem in chasing down the target as wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay guided them home, scoring an unbeaten 21 from 16 balls.
Earlier, New Zealand elected to bowl first on a green pitch at the University Oval. Jacob Duffy struck the early blow when he dismissed Hasan Nawaz in the opening over and Ben Sears got Mohammad Haris with his first delivery after he came into the attack, to bowl the fourth over.
Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi struck a double blow when he got the wickets of Irfan Khan (11) and Khushdil Shar (2) to leave Pakistan reeling on 52/4 in 7 overs.
Captain Agha waged a lone battle as he struck Ben Sears for a six over square leg and then smashed Sodhi for six and four off successive deliveries, in the ninth over.
But Sears had the last laugh when he got Agha caught at deep square leg for 46 from 28 balls after the top-edged the pull shot.
Shadab Khan hit a few lusty blows to smash 26 from 14 balls but he perished to Jacob Duffy in the 12th over and Afridi contributed with a vital 22 not out from 14 balls to help Pakistan go past the 130-run mark.
