New Zealand 277 for 5 (50 overs; McMillan 105, Horne 62, Adams 45) lost to Pakistan 278 for 7 (47.1 overs; Abdur Razzaq 86, Younis Khan 70) by 3 wickets
scorecard

Despite a sparkling century from New Zealand's Craig McMillan, Pakistan won by three wickets at Rawalpindi to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match one-day series.

McMillan made 105 as New Zealand made a formidable 277 for 5 in their allotted 50 overs, but his feat was matched by Pakistan's talented allrounder Abdur Razzaq, who hit a belligerent career-best 86 to steer the home team to victory. He blasted 10 fours and a six in his 92-ball knock while Younis Khan made 70 and Rashid Latif chipped in with 28 in the tension-packed last five overs, to take Pakistan home with 17 balls to spare.

Pakistan started disastrously when Daryl Tuffey trapped opener Imran Nazir leg-before with the first ball of the innings, then Andre Adams bowled Yousuf Youhana for 3 in the next over. Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan added 73 off 78 balls for the third wicket before Afridi fell lbw to Scott Styris for 40.

Razzaq and Younis Khan enthralled the home fans with some brisk scoring, piling on 93 off 101 balls to get Pakistan to 172 in the 31st over. New Zealand's legspinner Brooke Walker then chipped in with Younis's wicket, bowling him for 70. Younis, who followed up his three half-centuries in four previous innings, hit seven fours during his 92-ball knock.

Razzaq continued to maul the bowling, adding a further 46 with Inzamam-ul-Haq who made 26.

Pakistan needed 68 from the last 12 overs. Razzaq took 15 off one Tuffey over, including a huge six, before he was bowled by Styris with Pakistan still needing 26 off 45 balls. Wasim Akram was brilliantly run out by Lou Vincent for 6, but Rashid Latif and Saqlain Mushtaq reached the required target by putting on 17 for the eighth wicket.

Earlier McMillan, 25, held his team's innings together with two solid stands of 96 for the second wicket with Matthew Horne and 92 for the fourth with Adams. Horne made 62 with seven fours while Adams collected 45, liberally spiced with six fours.

McMillan, whose previous-best of 104 not out was also achieved against Pakistan, on his home ground at Christchurch in February last year, batted with aggression and took the attack to the home bowlers with some ferocious drives, cuts and pulls. He hit eight boundaries and a six off Shoaib Akhtar in a 116-ball innings that lifted his team's dwindling morale after losing the first match of the series and succumbing to a procession of injuries.

New Zealand's problems were further compounded when Nathan Astle was ruled out of the remainder of the tour due to a torn ligament in his left knee. Astle will fly home on Friday. Allrounder Chris Harris was also left out of the team after becoming the latest victim of a stomach bug that has worked its way through the touring party.

Captain Stephen Fleming, however, recovered in time from his upset stomach to return to the line-up, win the toss and elect to bat. Chris Nevin and Styris - who like Fleming missed the first match in Karachi - also made it into the XI. Pakistan kept faith in the same team for the seventh match running.

Nevin and Horne put on a brisk 44 in 8.3 overs before Razzaq bowled Nevin with a sharp incoming delivery for 23. McMillan steadied the innings with some confident batting to take New Zealand to 140 when Wasim Akram trapped Horne in front for 62 in his second spell.

New Zealand sent in Adams as a pinch-hitter to supplement McMillan, and together they blunted the home team attack. Akhtar, who had taken a career-best 6 for 16 in the first match, finished with 0 for 51 in 10 overs this time to leave his home fans disappointed. Akram and Younis finished with two wickets apiece.

The third and final match takes place at Lahore on Saturday (April 27).

Pakistan
1 Shahid Afridi, 2 Imran Nazir, 3 Yousuf Youhana, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq, 5 Younis Khan, 6 Abdur Razzaq, 7 Rashid Latif (wk), 8 Wasim Akram, 9 Waqar Younis (capt), 10 Saqlain Mushtaq, 11 Shoaib Akhtar.

New Zealand 1 Matthew Horne, 2 Chris Nevin, 3 Stephen Fleming (capt), 4 Craig McMillan, 5 Lou Vincent, 6 Jacob Oram, 7 Robbie Hart (wk), 8 Andre Adams, 9 Brooke Walker, 10 Scott Styris, 11 Daryl Tuffey.

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