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Abu Dhabi: Aamer and Ajmal's stand is the second-highest overall for the tenth wicket in ODIs, but not enough for Pakistan. New Zealand take the series 2-1.
Pakistan were down and out when these two got together, but they've given New Zealand a real scare with that valiant tenth-wicket stand. Yes New Zealand fought hard, but Pakistan's batsmen, thanks to some shoddy shot-making, made a meal out of a modest target. Though the pitch was taking turn and helping the slow bowlers, it certainly wasn't one deserving of nine wickets falling for 54, which is exactly what Pakistan managed to achieve.
Their No. 10 and 11 showed how to battle the conditions, taking the game to a nerve-wracking finish. The first two games were one-sided, but this one, in the end, lived up as a fitting finale. New Zealand take the series 2-1
Mohammad Aamer is the Man of the Match for his fighting effort and Brendon McCullum is the Man of the Series.
Pakistan were cruising at 47 without loss when Daniel Vettori introduced himself in the eighth over to trigger a stunning collapse. He trapped Khalid Latif with an arm-ball to open a small window through which New Zealand gatecrashed into Pakistan's party. They were helped by some poor cricket from Pakistan's captain Younis Khan.
He again struggled to get going with the bat and that pressure led to him running out a settled Salman Butt. Younis ran for a non-existent single after pushing to the left of short cover and sold Butt a dummy. It was the beginning of the end.
Earlier, Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took a career-best 4-33 to help Pakistan dismiss New Zealand for 211 in 46.3 overs in the third and final day-night international on Monday.
The 32-year-old initially put brakes on New Zealand, who won the toss and batted, before triggering a middle-order collapse which saw seven wickets falling in the space of 47 runs.
Brendon McCullum, who scored a brilliant hundred in New Zealand's 64-run win in the second match on Friday, stood out once again with an aggressive 78-ball 76 which included three sixes and six boundaries.
Pakistan won the first match by 138 runs on Tuesday.
New Zealand were well on course for a big score but once McCullum got out, caught and bowled by Shoaib Malik, Pakistani spinners led by Ajmal did not allow their rival's score to prosper.
New Zealand had raced to 72 by the 12th over, with McCullum hitting three sixes and six boundaries during his 47-ball half-century before the innings fell apart.
It was paceman Umar Gul who provided the breakthrough, removing opener Aaron Redmond caught off Mohammad Aamir for 21. This was Gul's 100th wicket in 67 one-day internationals.
Ajmal then came into his own, removing Martin Guptill (8), Ross Taylor (44), Daniel Vettori (15) and Jacob Oram (2) to improve on his best One-Day figures of 2-16 against the West Indies at Johannesburg in September this year.
Ross Taylor, who failed to score in the first two matches, helped McCullum add 50 for the third wicket before Ajmal trapped him leg-before.
Paceman Aamir finished with 2-41.
Brief scores
New Zealand: 211 (BB McCullum 76, LRPL Taylor 44, Saeed Ajmal 4-33)
Pakistan: 204 (Mohammad Aamer 73*, Saeed Ajmal 33, JDP Oram 3-20)
Result: New Zealand won by 7-runs
MOM: Mohammad Aamer (Pakistan)
Man of the series: Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)
