New Zealand kept their ODI record against Pakistan spotless as they eased to a 43 run win to seal a 3-0 series sweep.

After a nearly-two-hour delay to the start because of a wet outfield owing to overnight rain in Mount Maunganui, Michael Bracewell and Rhys Mariu’s half-centuries got New Zealand up to 264 in 42 overs. Pakistan made a slow start amid a freak injury to Imam-ul-Haq  and while there were contributions right down the order led by a Babar Azam half-century, New Zealand never let Pakistan get on top of the asking rate. Five more wickets for Ben Sears saw New Zealand regularly chip away as Pakistan folded for 221.

For the third successive game, Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and decided to put New Zealand in. Naseem Shah came in for the concussed Harris Rauf and had an immediate impact, squaring Nick Kelly up to get an early wicket. But New Zealand consolidated with a 78-run stand between Mariu and Henry Nicholls, even if it wasn’t quite as explosive as New Zealand have been in the first powerplay this series.

Sufiyan Muqeem was introduced somewhat late in the game, but struck almost immediately, getting a fluid Mariu out for a half-century as he tried to sweep. But New Zealand continued to work their way through the innings sedately, building one partnership after another; five of the top six scored between 26 and 59. Tim Seifert and Daryl Mitchell combined for another 61-run stand as they geared up to give the lower-middle order a platform for a big finish.

It was captain Bracewell who made good on that platform in a blistering innings. He started slowly after coming in with just under 11 overs to go, but when he launched Mohammed Wasim over fine leg in the 34th over, it would be the first of a half-dozen sixes off his bat. Akif Javeed bore the brunt of the punishment, plundered for 18 in the following over as Bracewell hared towards his half-century. It would come in the final over of the innings with a fifth six of the innings against Akif; he would smash one more before Akif finally got his man off the last ball of the innings. It was his fourth wicket, but having smashed 59 off 40, Bracewell had what he wanted from his knock.

New Zealand’s quicks were tight up top once more and strangled Pakistan early, but the early stages of the game were defined by the injury to Imam. He nudged Will O’Rourke and set off for a single, but the throw at his end bounced up awkwardly and ended up lodging itself in the grill of Imam’s helmet. Imam went down immediately as the physio raced on. Extensive treatment followed as it became clear Imam would struggle to continue. He would be bandaged and wheeled off on a stretcher, with Usman Khan his concussion substitute.

 Abdullah Shafique and Babar were steady through the early stages of the chase, but never as brisk as was required of them. Shafique’s innings was typically punctuated by quality shot-making, a pick-up of O’Rourke towards midwicket perhaps the highlight, but 33 off 56 was a truer indicator of how few and far between such aggression was. He failed to get on top of a short ball from Sears to give Jacob Duffy a comfortable catch in the deep; by now, the asking rate was approaching eight.

Usman’s innings ended with a moment of brilliance in the field from Bracewell – of the sort that has become their hallmark. Usman looked uncomfortable against the short ball as ever and skied one off Muhammad Abbas.  Bracewell dashed in from midwicket, and it always looked like the ball would land just short, but a dive at full stretch saw him pluck the ball inches off the ground.

In a dagger blow to Pakistan, Babar followed swifty after, clipping one to deep midwicket immediately after bringing up his half-century. It became something of a theme for the innings; each of the top seven reached double-figures without making a more meaningful contribution to the chase. The captain Rizwan was the most proactive, looking good through a breezy 32-ball 37, but with wickets falling at the other end, Pakistan needed a bit more meat on the bones of that innings. But Duffy cleverly changed his pace and drew a miscue from him, leaving Pakistan a further 96 to win in just 56 with the top half back in the hut.

In the second game, the bottom half had bailed Pakistan out of an embarrassing defeat, primarily led by Faheem Ashraf. There would be no rescue act from the allrounder this time, Bracewell striking as he sliced to Seifert who took a sharp catch, and Naseem was only good for a brief cameo before the returning Sears put a stop to it.

By now, Pakistan’s hopes of victory were realistically over, and Sears made hay, taking three off the last four wickets – including the final one – to help himself to a second consecutive five-wicket haul. There was brief drama at the end of a long day when the lights went out just as Duffy was about to deliver to Tayyab Tahir, fighting a lone if purposeless hand at the end of the innings. When the lights came back on, though, he was gone next ball, and it would be under bright lights that New Zealand sealed glory, plunging Pakistan into ever-deepening gloom as they ended a miserable tour on a feeble note.

Brief scores:
New Zealand 264 for 8 in 42 overs (Michaell Bracewell 59, Rhys Mariu 58, Daryl Mitchell 43, Henry Nicholls 31, Tim Seifert 26;  Akif  Javed 4-62, Naseem Shah 2-54) beat Pakistan 221 in 40 overs (Babar Azam 50, Abdulla Shafiqe 33, Mohamed Rizwan 37, Tayyab Tahir 33;  Ben Sears 5-34, Jacob Duffy 2-40) by 43 runs

[Cricinfo]