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AUCKLAND (New Zealand): Scott Styris scored his second one-day international century to guide New Zealand to a four-wicket Saturday over Pakistan in the first match of a five-match limited-overs cricket series.

Man-of-the-match Styris was 101 not out when New Zealand crept past Pakistan’s total of 229-7 with five balls remaining.

The win seemed out of New Zealand’s reach when it lost three middle-order wickets for 15 runs between the 37th and 40th overs of its 50-over innings.

But Styris, who came to the wicket with New Zealand at 35-2, kept a cool head to see the home side to its first win in six one-day matches against Pakistan.

He scored his century from 108 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes, and kept New Zealand in the match when its target run-rate had seemed out of reach.

New Zealand, with six wickets down, had needed 44 runs from the last five overs, 31 from the last 20 balls, 27 from 18 deliveries and finally 17 with two overs remaining.

Pakistan managed to take charge with aggressive late-order batting and tight full-pitched bowling. It was only in the last two overs that Styris finally broke the visitors’ grip on the match.