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It was another pace-versus-spin battle between a sub-continental team and their Oceania rivals, with the latter coming up trumps. But the climax of the Pakistan-New Zealand encounter on Saturday was dramatically thrilling as against the lopsided match between India and Australia a day earlier.The one-run defeat in the low-scoring affair left Pakistan virtually out of the hunt. The margin might have been a narrow one as Pakistan tried to chase 133, but the gulf between the two teams was wider than the result suggested.Were it not for Salman Butt, who slumped on his knees after a wasted unbeaten 67 from 54 deliveries, Pakistan would have been beaten comprehensively. Butt held the innings together, and with the team staring down the barrel at 58 for 5, was joined by Abdul Razzaq. The senior pros produced a partnership that was mix of sensible singles and some savage hitting.Razzaq departed for 29 after hitting a boundary and three sixes — two of them in an over from Daniel Vettori — leaving Pakistan just 23 short with 13 deliveries to go.Butt completed his half-century from 45 deliveries and changed gears to bring the equation down to 11 runs from the last over. But Ian Butler stood out with his accuracy and pace to win the match for his team and deservingly take the Man-of-the-Match award.The Butt versus Butler contest in the last over began with a dot ball, an outside edge to third man boundary and a dot ball again to make it seven from three.Butt charged down the fourth delivery to hit behind square and missed the next, even as non-striker Abdur Rehman took one run. With 2 required off the last ball, Rehman hit the ball straight into the hands of the deep mid-wicket fielder as the New Zealanders celebrated.In the battle of two inconsistent sides, Daniel Vettori sparkled by first scoring 38 at number 5 and then set the field placements with preciseness and rotated his four fast bowlers to inflict maximum damage.New Zealand were sloppy in the field but latched on to the important catches. They also made the most of the hard ball and wayward pace of Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Sami — who swapped back places with Asif — scoring at 10 an over in the first four before Jesse Ryder was dismissed.Skipper Afridi quickly brought his spinners on as left-arm orthodox Abdur Rehman, playing his first game of the tournament in place of Fawad Alam, and off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez kept the Black Caps on a tight leash.Brendon McCullum scored 33 off just 29 balls at the top, his brother Nathan hit the last ball for six, but sandwiched between them was Vettori's knock that helped them to post a respectable total.In the 2009 edition, Pakistan had revived their sagging fortunes at the same stage against New Zealand. Vettori is not looking too far ahead into the future, but is happy that his team hung in there.
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