The Blackcaps' unbeaten run at the Cricket World Cup has come to an end, after Pakistan claimed a nail-biting six-wicket win at Edgbaston on Thursday (NZT).
The match was arguably New Zealand's biggest test in the tournament to date, as they knew victory would secure a fourth successive World Cup semi-final appearance.
But they struggled to defend their modest total of 237/6, with Jimmy Neesham top-scoring with an unbeaten 97, as Pakistan chased it down with just five balls to spare.
An unbeaten century to Babar Azam (101), in a 126-run partnership with Haris Sohail (65), proved enough to get Pakistan home.
Azam's man-of-the-match knock was the first World Cup century by a Pakistan player other than an opening batsman since 1987.
Pakistan dominated the match, tearing through the Blackcaps top order and restricting them to 83/5 at one stage, leaving Neesham and de Grandhomme to resuce New Zealand's innings.
New Zealand's opening partnership continued to cause headaches, this time lasting just seven balls, as both Martin Guptill (five) and Colin Munro (12) failed to fire once again.
Mohammad Amir (1/67) got Guptill off the first ball of the seond over, while Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/28) claimed the scalp of Munro, who edged the ball to slip.
In past matches, Ross Taylor (three) and Kane Williamson (41) usually came to the rescue, but their partnership didn't last long either, as Afridi claimed the wickets of Taylor and Tom Latham (one).
That left New Zealand reeling at 46/4, but Williamson steadied the innings, before he too was dismissed.
At 83/5, New Zealand needed a record sixth-wicket partnership of 132 to rescue their innings.
Neesham's unbeaten 97 came from 112 balls, while Colin de Grandhomme contributed 64 off 71 balls.
The pair repaired the damage and took the score past 200, first harvesting runs carefully and then accelerating in the final 10 overs.
De Grandhomme was run out seeking a second in the 48th over.
But Neesham finished strongly and dispatched the final ball of the innings from Amir over the mid-wicket boundary for six.
The Blackcaps knew they had to strike early and did so, as Trent Boult (1/48) claimed the wicket of Fakjar Zaman (nine).
Pakistan were 110/3 at the halfway stage, when Azam and Haris began their partnership that ultimately steered them to victory.
Haris was run out in the penultimate over for 68, but captain Sarfaraz Ahmed hit the first ball of the final over for four to seal a famous win.
Williamson (1/39) and Lockie Ferguson (1/50) were the other wicket takers for New Zealand.
The result means the Blackcaps missed the chance to go back to the top of the World Cup standings, while Pakistan move within one point of England in fourth place - the final semi-final spot - on the table, with matches against Afghanistan and Bangladesh to come.
The Blackcaps are back in action on Sunday morning, when they face Australia, who sit atop the Cricket World Cup standings with six wins in seven matches.
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Join us at 12:30am Sunday for live updates of the Blackcaps v Australia Cricket World Cup match at Lord's.
