Player of the Match
Player of the Match

That's about all we have from here. Thanks for your company and your comments. Do be on the lookout for the report and keep the debate going. Ta ta for now from Alagappan Muthu

The two captains come forward to collect the trophy now. "It was sort of an improved performance in all areas. It was pleasing tonight, we had a review about performance last night and it was nice to improve," Kane Williamson says, "It's a combination of gut and planning. It's quite enjoyable captaining in T20 cricket, fortunate to have so much experience in the side to help out. Pakistan play really well with their depth and it was never over till the last over. So good effort from the boys. Nice for everyone to get a game in these conditions and the main thing was we improved. Looks like the tracks aren't free flowing and it's a bit of tough graft really and how you shape an innings is important"

Luke Ronchi is the Man of the Series "It's nice, got a bit of luck and swung hard for a few and got away with it. It was good to get us to a total that we were lucky enough to defend. Couldn't do that last night. Very much, for any team it's a massive thing to play against Pakistan spinners and hopefully we go in full steam and do well in the one-dayers"

Anton Devcich is the Man of the Match "Did a little bowling back home opening the innings. Managed to get a couple of wickets at the top. Spur of the moment captaincy, obviously two right-handers, good opportunity to get a couple of cheap overs. Getting there to timing the ball, just adjusting from home conditions"

"Played a lot of dot balls and increased the pressure, which was needless," Shahid Afridi says. "Was I out?(smiles, when asked about his dismissal) I wanted to take a chance as Sohail Tanvir was around. International cricket is all about pressure. The one who absorbs it goes to the next level. Happy with Gull getting back to fitness and performing well. Prepared for the ODI series"

11.10 pm It was a sluggish pitch, not the most conducive to stroke play. So a target of 145 wasn't the most straight forward one. New Zealand's bowlers banded together with their assortment of slower balls, cross seamers, and arm balls to win a pretty tense game. That early spell from Anton Devich was a bonus, then Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum's strangle pushed New Zealand ahead. But then came Shahid Afridi and started tipping the scales Pakistan's way. Jimmy Neesham bowled possibly his worst over of the match, but got rid of the Pakistan captain and all but sealed New Zealand's win in Dubai. Stay tuned for the presentation

Ashok Ramkumar: "Amazing display by the Kiwis, announcing their strong contentions for World Cup 2015 ! Devcich will have much more longer beard then..."

Mudassar Alamgi: "I think Vettori is lucky for his team. In third test and now in today's match he was included in team and NZ wins."

Danish 294: "Pakistan should blame this defeat on Misbah like they always do. His aura in the stadium was enough to cost Pakistan the game."

18.5
W
Mills to Sohail Tanvir, OUT, that's shot straight up in the air, and it's that man Devcich who gets under it! New Zealand have levelled the series with a very cleverly executing bowling performance. It was back of a length and outside off to tempt a swat from Tanvir, and his bat face turns on impact to sky a catch to long-off

Sohail Tanvir c Devcich b Mills 11 (15m 6b 2x4 0x6) SR: 183.33

18.4
4
Mills to Sohail Tanvir, FOUR, lengt hball on middle, the Tanvir swipe makes another appearance and it has enough legs to beat a dive from short fine leg on his right. Timely boundary
18.4
1w
Mills to Sohail Tanvir, 1 wide, good length ball slides down leg and Tanvir can't reach it with a swipe

Raza Hasan is the last man in

18.3
W
Mills to Umar Gul, OUT, he's picked up a short of a length ball and launched it.... straight down the throat of deep midwicket. New Zealand are pulling off another stunning fighback in the UAE

Umar Gul c Taylor b Mills 0 (4m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

18.2
0
Mills to Umar Gul, no run, goes shortish on and around off stump, Gul tries to pull from his crease and is beaten
18.1
1
Mills to Sohail Tanvir, 1 run, dropped at long-on. Nathan McCullum was racing in to try and get under the flat strike from Tanvir. Got there, dives forward but isn't able to hold on.

Umar Gul walks in and gets advice from both Afridi and Anwar Ali. 24 from 12 now

END OF OVER:
18 | 15 Runs 1 Wkt | PAK: 121/8 (24 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 6.72, RRR: 12.00)

  • Sohail Tanvir6 (3b)
  • James Neesham3-0-25-3
  • Kyle Mills3-0-20-1

Ben: "Possibly the worst over of the match - and it win's the game for NZ"

17.6
W
Neesham to Shahid Afridi, OUT, banged in short as Afridi goes for a pull and there is a nick! Afridi is bemused, actually he's confused. He can't believe he's out. But there was a feather edge. Brilliant short ball from Neesham as he gets it to skid off the deck and rise too far for Afridi to control his shot.

Shahid Afridi c †Ronchi b Neesham 28 (23m 11b 1x4 3x6) SR: 254.54

17.5
6
Neesham to Shahid Afridi, SIX, slower ball on middle, Afridi loves those as he plants his front leg and carts it over deep square leg to make it 15 off the over. The over Pakistan wanted
17.4
1
Neesham to Sohail Tanvir, 1 run, tries to get the ball out of reach of Tanvir, that seems to be a deliberate ploy. The full and wide of off stump delivery is tapped to long-off
17.4
1w
Neesham to Sohail Tanvir, 1 wide, another wide from Neesham, and it's another offcutter gone wrong. Willliamson comes up to try and calm his bowler down
17.3
1
Neesham to Shahid Afridi, 1 run, shortish on off stump, Afridi almost swings himself off his feet with a pull, which has been mistimed to deep square leg

Immediately there's a conversation between captain and bowler. Afridi has Dubai believing

17.2
1
Neesham to Sohail Tanvir, 1 run, full and wide outside off, Tanvir carts it down to long-on to return the strike to Afridi
17.2
1w
Neesham to Sohail Tanvir, 1 wide, slower ball goes wrong as he slants it too far wide outside off
17.1
4
Neesham to Sohail Tanvir, FOUR, length on off stump and Tanvir capitalises. A powerful blow down the ground as he relished the room on offer

Adnan: "Afridi on crease : there is always a chance of mini heart attack for the fans n sometime for the opposition." Pakistan need 39 off 18 balls. Neesham has the ball, and he knows Pakistan will be targeting a huge over here

Talha Hameed : "Can we call Misbah to bat here, he can surely smash some big hits here. " Well, he is at the ground

END OF OVER:
17 | 8 Runs 1 Wkt | PAK: 106/7 (39 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 6.23, RRR: 13.00)

  • Shahid Afridi21 (8b)
  • Sohail Tanvir0 (0b)
  • Kyle Mills3-0-20-1
  • James Neesham2-0-10-2
16.6
2
Mills to Shahid Afridi, 2 runs, width on offer and Afridi has smashed it over the covers

Out walks Sohail Tanvir, he can strike those big ones, but can he do it under pressure?

16.5
W
Mills to Anwar Ali, OUT, lifts it straight up, and he's been caught by Williamson. What a stunner! Another slower ball has brought about a useful strike, but this was all the captain's doing. He raced back from mid-off, threw his hands over his head and safely held it with a reverse cup

Anwar Ali c Williamson b Mills 2 (7m 4b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50.00

16.4
0
Mills to Anwar Ali, no run, beaten off the slower ball, Anwar was setting up for the huge hoick over long-on. Not the shot he needs to attempt with Afridi at the other end
  • New Zealand, Pakistan share T20 series

    Sarfraz Ahmed's unbeaten 76 helped Pakistan win the first T20I against New Zealand in Dubai, but the visitors leveled the two-match series a day later thanks to a three-wicket haul from James Neesham

  • Neesham laps up added responsibility

    With Corey Anderson sitting out the second T20, Jimmy Neesham said he had to assume greater responsibility, and that suited him fine

  • Brownlie's duck run continues

    Plays of the day from the second T20 between Pakistan and New Zealand in Dubai

  • NZ level series with 17-run win

    Like the Test series that preceded the Twenty20 games, New Zealand forged a comeback to beat Pakistan by 17 runs in Dubai to square the two-match series 1-1

Long time coming

4

Years since New Zealand last beat Pakistan in a T20I - last instance was in Hamilton in December 2010.

A First

1

Number of times that Anton Devcich has opened the bowling in international cricket; this is the first.

Slow

2

Instances of New Zealand making a 150+ score in 11 T20Is against Pakistan

Specialist

20

Number of left handers that Mohammad Hafeez has dismissed in T20Is - only Saeed Ajmal has dismissed more (24)

One-way traffic

3

New Zealand have won only three of the 10 T20s they have played against Pakistan

Welcome back

2

Years since Daniel Vettori last played a T20 for New Zealand, <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/533288.html" target="_blank">against England</a> during the 2012 World T20