Kiwis pegged back

New Zealand opener Brendon McCullum fails to connect while trying an on-drive during his knock of 76 off 78 balls in the third and final one-day international against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi yesterday.Photo: AFP

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 here 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 (eight), Ross Taylor (44), Daniel Vettori (15) and Jacob Oram (two) to improve on his best one-day figures of 2-16 against the West Indies.