Hamish Marshall was at full stretch to play a sweep shot

Brilliant batting by Abdul Razzaq was all in vain as Pakistan went down by four runs to New Zealand in the final match of their tour in Wellington.

Shabbir Ahmed was run out off the third ball of the last over to give the Kiwis a 4-1 win in the one-day series.

Hamish Marshall (84) and Craig McMillan (81) shared a partnership of 157 as New Zealand made a daunting total of 307-8.

Razzaq smashed five sixes in his 89 off 40 balls to keep Pakistan in the hunt but they were all out for 303.

The tourists looked down and out at 73-4 before skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq (67) and Moin Khan (52) revived their hopes by putting on 98 in 21 overs.

Day in and day out this guy is by far the best hitter I've seen - he can turn matches just like that Stephen Fleming on Razzaq More post-match quotes

But it was only a curtain-raiser to the fireworks of the final 10 overs which began with Pakistan needing another 121 runs for victory.

Razzaq was on the attack immediately, racing to 50 from only 23 balls as he put on 94 with Inzamam, who was eventually run out in the 46th over.

Shoaib Malik was stumped three balls later but Razzaq continued his assault, with 17 runs added in the 48th over, bowled by Kyle Mills, before Shoaib Akhtar was run out off the final delivery.

FASTEST ODI 50s FOR PAKISTAN 18 balls Shahid Afridi v Sri Lanka, Nairobi 1996 18 balls Shahid Afridi v Holland, Colombo 2002 23 balls Salim Malik v India, Calcutta 1987 23 balls Yousuf Youhana v Zimbabwe, Bulawayo 2002 23 balls Abdul Razzaq v New Zealand, Wellington 2004 Feature: Have Pakistan learned?

Pakistan needed 14 from 12 balls when Razzaq attempted another big hit off Andre Adams and Hamish Marshall took a good catch on the long-off boundary.

It was left to the final pair to see Pakistan home and they reduced the target to five from four balls before Mohammad Sami refused the call for a single to mid-wicket and Shabbir was beaten by Scott Styris' throw.

New Zealand had earlier capitalised on some poor bowling and ragged fielding by Pakistan to pass 300 for the 10th time in a one-day international.

Pace bowler Sami removed openers Craig Cumming (31) and Stephen Fleming (16) but conceded 73 from his 10 overs and Shabbir fared little better.

Marshall underlined the promise shown when making a maiden hundred on the recent tour to Pakistan with another sensible innings, while McMillan hit two sixes and eight fours.

In the past when a team has scored 300 plus against Pakistan, they give up without facing a ball From Fraaz Hussain Have your say on TMS

Their stand was ended when McMillan holed out to Shabbir off Azhar Mahmodd and Marshall followed when he was run out after a mix-up with new partner Chris Cairns.

Shoaib Akhtar bowled Brendon McCullum and Adams in the penultimate over for figures of 2-46, but New Zealand's total proved just enough.

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (captain), Craig Cumming, Hamish Marshall, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Andre Adams, Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills.

Pakistan: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Yousuf Youhana, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Moin Khan, Azhar Mahmood, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed.

Umpires: Darrell Hair (Aus) and Billy Bowden (NZ).