Date-stamped : 09 Dec96 - 14:15 9 December 1996 New Zealand Finishes Tour On Winning Note KARACHI -- New Zealand finished the tour of Pakistan on a high note by winning the third and last one-dayer by seven wickets in the National Stadium in Karachi yesterday. New Zealand, however, lost the series, 2-1. After Pakistan captain Wasim Akram and Ijaz Ahmed ripped apart the New Zealand bowlers in the closing overs to compile a stiff target of 234, the Kiwi batsmen only needed 45.1 overs to reach a winning total. Nathan Astle announced his return to form with a forthright innings as New Zealand responded positively to the big target. The Canterbury batsman slammed a character-filled 60 from 66 balls, but having threatened to carry his side to the brink of victory, Astle committed the cricket form of suicide by needlessly running himself out in the 18th over after he had collared the Pakistan attack for six fours and one six. Astle was the second batsman to fall within the space of 10 balls after fellow opener Bryan Young was out in the 15th over. Fleming and Parore continued to impress, rotating the strike and batting intelligently as the New Zealanders refused to waste the opportunity Astle's belligerent beginning gave them. Parore seemed destined for his 11th one-day 50 when Wasim Akram returned for a new spell in the 35th over and immediately induced an edge to wicketkeeper Moin Khan. Parore's 47 helped his side to 183 for three. He and Fleming had put on 84 from 100 balls. New Zealand was cruising after 40 overs when it was 207 for three, with Fleming on 37 and Chris Cairns on nine. They could literally walk home from there, with just 28 needed. Akram and Ijaz plundered 62 runs from the final five overs to see Pakistan through to 234 for four in the last match of the series, which the home side leads 2-0. Akram slammed a magnificent 66 from just 39 deliveries, while Ijaz scored his second successive half century in the series as they put on 108 for the fifth wicket in just 75 balls to get the Pakistanis out of jail. New Zealand looked to be in control when it had reduced Pakistan to 126 for four in the 38th over. The Kiwis slow bowlers had excelled up to that point, but Ijaz, who finished unbeaten on 73, and his skipper turned things around on a slowish track. Akram slammed the tourists to all corners of the ground, helping himself to five sixes and four fours in an innings that lasted just 59 minutes. Ijaz reached his 50 from 77 deliveries before needing just 10 balls for his next 23 runs. Left-arm spinner Matthew Hart, who had completed his 10 overs before the dam burst, bowled particularly well to pick up two for 33. Openers Saeed Anwar and Zahoor Elahi cut loose in the initial overs to pass 30 in just the fifth over before the tourists applied the brakes. Anwar was first out for 16 in the eighth over when he spooned a leading edge to Bryan Young at short cover off Justin Vaughan. Vaughan did a sterling job, along with Nathan Astle, to peg back the runs before the introduction of Hart brought immediate rewards. Hart dismissed Inzamam-ul-Haq with the last delivery of his first over, which Inzamam leapt down the track to, missed and was stumped by wicketkeeper Lee Germon. At 62 for two, Elahi rebuilt the innings with Ijaz. Source :: The Christchurch Press (http://www.press.co.nz) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)