Lapses at key moments hurt Black Caps

It’s a tough format to love, Twenty20 international cricket, and New Zealand will gladly part ways with it for a while after today’s dead rubber against Pakistan.

Formerly the world’s topranked T20 side, boasting Colin Munro and Ish Sodhi atop the batting and bowling rankings, the Black Caps are now fifth and on the slide after losing eight of their last nine.

Undisputed world No 1 Pakistan’s six-wicket win with two balls to spare in Dubai on Saturday clinched the series 2-0 with one to play, after they snuck home by two runs in Abu Dhabi.

Both results suggest New Zealand competed very well, and they did, but for captain Kane Williamson it will niggle away that his team consistently struggle to get over the line.

‘‘The first half was clinical from us and a good score on that surface [153-7] and we weren’t far away with the ball. As we’ve seen in the last game and this game it’s really small margins,’’ he said.

‘‘You could nitpick and look at two balls here or a couple of deliveries when we were batting but it’s important to be a little bit better all round.’’

Indeed, there was no glaring reason why New Zealand lost but for a few lapses in the key moments which Pakistan are experts at seizing in their remarkable run of 11 consecutive series victories. If there was a lack of composure and timing about their chase for 149 in game one, this time New Zealand should have defended 153-7. Corey Anderson, in his first international series in 17 months bashed 44 not out off 25 balls.

Williamson’s brilliant, diving left-handed grab of Fakhar Zaman (24) lifted the Black Caps’ spirits before Colin de Grandhomme stumbled and dropped a sitter off Asif Ali in the 11th over.

Wicketkeeper Tim Seifert had a couple of lapses but safe hands from sub Lockie Ferguson and an lbw from a Munro full toss had them back in the game.

Munro and de Grandhomme applied the brakes but New Zealand’s spinners Sodhi and Ajaz Patel didn’t have the impact of their fellow slow men in green. With wickets in hand, Mohammad Hafeez blasted 14 off three from the legspinner then lifted Adam Milne for four to close it out.