Tim Seifert, Jacob Duffy help New Zealand take T20I series lead

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A late blitz from Chapman and some big hits from Mitchell Santner and Jimmy Neesham helped the Kiwis steal 43 runs in the last 3.5 overs despite a six-run over, that included the wicket of Chapman, from Haris Rauf. Santner finished the game off with a six, but the run-chase had become a formality by then, mostly due to excellent knocks played by Seifert and Chapman earlier in the innings.

New Zealand lost Martin Guptill early on with Shadab Khan taking a stunner, running back from mid-off. Rauf added to the hosts' troubles when he held onto a good catch off his won bowling to send Devon Conway on his way. However, Glenn Phillips and Seifert gave the innings impetus after the Powerplay overs, taking spinners Shadab and birthday boy Imad Wasim for a six apiece in their respective overs.

Rauf returned to the attack to have Phillips caught at deep mid-wicket off his first ball of the new spell. But Seifert and new man Chapman stole 36 runs off the next four overs to pull New Zealand back on track.

At 109/3 in 14 overs, the hosts appeared to be well on course for an easy win, but Shaheen Shah Afridi returned to the mix to send back Seifert soon after he completed his half-century. Chapman, who had progressed at just over a run a ball, slammed Wahab Riaz for a six and two fours in the next over and the required run-rate promptly came down. Chapman's wicket didn't deter the lower middle-order as Neesham and Santner sealed the game for the hosts.

Earlier, Pakistan opted to bat first after winning the toss and immediately found themselves in trouble as Duffy, making his international debut, ran through their top-order. After a half-chance off his first delivery against Mohammad Rizwan, Duffy sent back Abdullah Shafique with the fourth ball of his first over, in just the second over of the innings.

In his next over, Duffy removed Rizwan and then extracted bounce off the Eden Park wicket to send back veteran Mohammad Hafeez off the very next ball. With three wickets in his first two overs, Duffy had already made his debut a memorable one.

New Zealand, however, continued to make inroads from the other end. Off the first ball of the next over, Scott Kuggeleijn sent back Haider Ali to leave Pakistan reeling at 20/4.

Khushdil Shah and stand-in skipper Shadab revived the innings a bit before a slog from the former, off Ish Sodhi, gave New Zealand a fifth wicket in the ninth over of the innings. Next over, Duffy nearly took a screamer in the deep to send back Shadab, but replays showed that the pacer had brushed the skirtings when rolling over after the one-handed grab.

Shadab played some shots against Sodhi, but he lost Imad at the other end when he ramped Kuggeleijn to deep third-man. However, the 40-run partnership had laid a decent foundation for the lower-order to take charge.

Shadab found an able ally in Faheem Ashraf, who began his knock with a four over cover off his second delivery. A couple of sixes off Sodhi next over sent Shadab into the 30s.

To pull things back, skipper Santner produced a stunning over where just one run was conceded and a LBW decision nearly won. With Santner done with his spell, Shadab and Ashraf freed their arms more and a 14-run over off Blair Tickner ensued.

Duffy sent back Shadab in the next over to complete the best-ever figures by a New Zealand bowler on T20I debut, but his over ended with three sixes off the last four balls. 19 runs came off the last two overs as Pakistan put up a competitive 153/9, a pretty good total considering they were just 51/5 from 11 overs earlier in the day.