Conway, Williamson steer NZ to Karachi win

Devon Conway and Kane Williamson have put Pakistan's attack to the sword as their 181-run partnership proved the basis for New Zealand's ODI series-tying win by 79 runs in the day-nighter against Pakistan.

Conway cracked a brilliant 101 off 92 balls and captain Williamson 85 off 100 in Karachi on Wednesday as their second-wicket stand provided the basis of the visitors' total of 261, which Pakistan never threatened despite 79 from captain Babar Azam.

After Tim Southee (2-33) and Lockie Ferguson (1-31) made early inroads into Pakistan's chase, the New Zealand spin quartet effectively strangled the hosts, who were bowled out for 182 off 43 overs, leaving the series, locked at 1-1, to be decided in Friday's third match.

Babar provided Pakistan with most hope in his 114-ball knock but couldn't keep up the required asking rate.

Mitchell Santner took 1-34 off 10 overs and Michael Bracewell proved the most economical New Zealand bowler with 1-29 off his full allocation.

Ish Sodhi, returning to the side in place of quick Henry Shipley, bowled into the pitch and often drew mis-hits from Pakistan's batters as he took 2-38 off eight overs, with the leg-spinner bagging the key scalp of Babar, the second-last home batter to be dismissed.

"We had Ish Sodhi, who has been bowling really well," Williamson said.

"We knew it would be a tough chase. We knew we had to get little bit out of the surface … and got to a par total in the end."

Glenn Phillips (1-13 off two overs), a reluctant wicketkeeper because of a back condition, added to New Zealand's spin stocks in an ODI World Cup year, trapping Haris Sohail lbw, with the Kiwi spinners enjoying combined figures of 30-0-114-5.

"When the spinners came on, it was turning sharply," Babar said. "The pitch in Karachi is always better in the second innings, but played differently today and the spinners were getting a lot more help."

Earlier, after opting to bat, New Zealand failed to capitalise fully on the excellent stand between Conway and Williamson, as Mohammad Nawaz took 4-38 but failed to hold on to a difficult return catch when Conway was on 29.

Williamson was also twice dropped in the space of Mohammad Wasim's four deliveries soon after he completed his half-century.

First, Haris Sohail couldn't hold on to a sharp catch over his head at short midwicket and then Mohammad Rizwan dropped a low catch down the leg side after the ball brushed Williamson's gloves.

It enabled the batters to go past New Zealand's previous best second-wicket stand of 159 against Pakistan in an ODI, shared between Williamson and Martin Guptill at Auckland in 2016.

- With Reuters