Abu Dhabi: Opener Brendon McCullum’s 131 helped New Zealand beat Pakistan by 64 runs on Friday and send their short one-day International series to a decider on Monday.

McCullum’s 129-ball 131 led the Black Caps to 303 for eight and Scott Styris took three wickets in 10 balls to help scuttle Pakistan for 239 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium and level the three-match series.

Styris’s three wickets plus the run out of opener Salman Butt for 59 meant Pakistan lost four wickets for 10 runs and were left tottering at 134 for five in the 31st over.

Butt and Khalid Latif gave Pakistan a 77-run start until New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori had the latter trapped in front for 45.

Younis Khan (19) fell to a spectacular one-handed catch from Ross Taylor at short mid-wicket at 124 for two, then Shahid Afridi, promoted to No 4, clipped the second ball he faced to Taylor to depart for a duck. Kamran Akmal hit straight to Martin Guptill at cover in the next over for Styris’s third wicket.

Styris returned three for 23 from four overs and Vettori bowled a tidy spell to finish with two for 37 from his 10.

McCullum hit 14 fours and three sixes in his second ODI century, and featured in three good partnerships, the best being 126 for the second wicket with Guptill. Guptill’s 62 off 70 deliveries was the second highest score Friday and was studded with five hits to the fence and a couple clearing the field.

McCullum added 64 for the fifth wicket with Vettori (30) and 56 with Jacob Oram (33 not out) for the seventh wicket before playing on to a delivery from pacer Umar Gul.

The McCullum-Vettori partnership was broken when Abdul Razzaq returned for his second spell to have the New Zealand captain caught behind off a miscued hit.