New Zealand defeat Pakistan by 95 runs to win T20 series
New Zealand take the series with a thumping win.
WELLINGTON (Web Desk / AP) - New Zealand with their impressive skills in the batting and fielding thrashed Pakistan by 95 runs in the third and final T20 match at Wellington‘s Westpac Stadium to win the series 2-1 and keep their brilliant run of form going, as they had beaten Sri Lanka before the series against Pakistan.
It was the last Twenty20 international for New Zealand and Pakistan before the tournament in India in March, with the Kiwis confident after back-to-back wins.
Pakistan won the first match by 16 runs before New Zealand stormed the second by 10 wickets - with a world record 171 partnership between Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson.
The hosts maintained that form to win equally emphatically on Friday.
Corey Anderson produced an outstanding allround performance with an unbeaten 82 to lead New Zealand to 196-5 as it batted first and took 2-17 as New Zealand dismissed Pakistan for 101 in 16.1 overs.
Anderson has only recently returned to the New Zealand lineup after a back injury and was forced from the field early due to soreness but not before making an indelible mark on the match.
He hit 82 runs from 42 balls with six fours and four sixes, sustaining the momentum of New Zealand’s innings which had begun explosively with Guptill’s 42 off 19 balls. He then opened with a rare appearance at the bowling crease and took 2-17 from three overs.
Grant Elliott took 3-7 from two overs and Adam Milne 3-8 from 3.1 overs as New Zealand showed off the depth and variation of its bowling attack. Pakistan was unable to cope with Milne’s pace or the guile of Elliott’s slow bowling.
Man of the match Anderson said it was "nice to finally get some runs and be back into international cricket."
New Zealand’s win was set up by Guptill and Williamson after it had lost the toss and been sent in to bat.
Guptill scored 15 of the 16 runs the pair took from the first over as New Zealand raced to 40 from three overs to shake Pakistan’s bowling and fielding plans.
Pakistan fought back by removing Guptill for 42 in the sixth over, then ran out Colin Munro for 4 and dismissed Kane Williamson, who hit 33 from 34 balls.
Anderson took charge, though he struggled at times for timing, and helped New Zealand build its seventh-highest total in Twenty20 internationals.
Pakistan’s hopes of saving the match and series quickly dissolved when it was reduced to 15-3 by the third over. While Sarfraz Ahmed provided some resistance, taking 41 runs from 36 balls, he had little support and Pakistan crumbled to 55-5, then 76-7, as Anderson, Elliott and Milne exploited favorable bowling conditions.
"I suppose it’s the nature of Twenty20 cricket that every result was perhaps one-sided," New Zealand captain Williamson said of the series. "They beat us by a lot in the first one, we won the last two.
"A side like Pakistan is a very dangerous side and they keep putting you under a lot of pressure even when the margin looks big."
Williamson said he was happy with New Zealand’s preparation for the world cup.
Pakistan has more concerns after its performance Friday. The bowling and batting lacked sharpness though captain Shahid Afridi briefly contained the New Zealand batsmen, taking 1-27 from four overs.
Only Sarfraz among the Pakistan batsmen was able to linger at the crease for any length of time while Umar Akmal, the next-best Pakistan batsman in terms of deliveries, faced only 13 balls.
"I think with five or six batsmen back in the dressing room in the first six overs, what are you expecting?" Afridi said. "Before the World T20 there are a lot of things we need to see and we will see what decisions have to be made now. ... We have some time but I think if we keep making these mistakes we’ll come nowhere."
LISTEN WHAT AFRIDI SAID AFTER PAKISTAN‘S DEFEAT:
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Pakistan 101 (16.1/20 ov)
New Zealand beat Pakistan by 95 runs to win three match series 2-1. This is Pakistan’s worst defeat in T20Is by runs margin. Previous was by 94 runs margin against Australia in 2012.
WATCH FALL OF WICKETS:
16.1 ov: Milne to Wahab Riaz, OUT, Milne claims the final wicket, another good catch, this time from Ronchi - for a comprehensive 95 run win
End of 15th over: Pakistan 98/9 (99 runs required)
14.3 ov: Milne to Anwar Ali, OUT, Anwar plays with an angled bat, and gets a thin edge behind to Ronchi
13.4 ov: Elliott to Sarfraz Ahmed, OUT, Sarfraz Ahmed scoops one straight to Milne at short fine
12.5 ov: Munro to Sarfraz Ahmed, FOUR
12.4 ov: Munro to Sarfraz Ahmed, FOUR, Sarfraz reaches out and cuts it through point
11.5 ov: Elliott to Imad Wasim, OUT, a great catch from Guptill at backward point to dismiss Wasim for a duck
WATCH VIDEO:
11.3 ov: Elliott to Shahid Afridi, OUT, Afridi goes for a big shot and plays it high in the air towards long-on, sub fielder Henry takes a well judge catch there
WATCH VIDEO:
10.1 ov: Boult to Shahid Afridi, SIX, goes back and smashes it over cover for a six
End of 10th over: Pakistan 62/5 (135 runs required)
9.2 ov: McClenaghan to Sarfraz Ahmed, FOUR, ramped away to the third man boundary
Shahid Afridi is in
8.4 ov: Milne to Umar Akmal, OUT, Akmal holes out to sub fielder Peter Younghusband at deep square leg for a simple catch
WATCH VIDEO BELOW:
6.1 ov: Santner to Sarfraz Ahmed, FOUR
Anderson walks off the field.
End of over 5th over: Pakistan 38/4 (159 runs required)
4.5 ov: Anderson to Shoaib Malik, OUT, McClenaghan running back to grab a goodie over his right shoulder to dismiss Malik for 14
WATCH VIDEO:
4.1 ov: Anderson to Sarfraz Ahmed, FOUR, Sarfraz crunches it square through point
Malik ends a good 4th over from the visitors. 31 for 3 now in pursuit of 197 to win the 3rd and deciding T20 in Wellington
3.6 ov: Boult to Shoaib Malik, FOUR, shorter and outside off, Malik controls a pull and sends it to the midwicket boundary
3.5 ov: Boult to Shoaib Malik, FOUR
3.1 ov: Boult to Shoaib Malik, FOUR, short and wide outside off, poor ball. Punched through point for four
2.3 ov: Anderson to Mohammad Rizwan, run OUT, awful mix up in the middle and Santner swoops in at cover to run the stumps down and catch Rizwan well short
WATCH VIDEO:
2.1 ov: Anderson to Ahmed Shehzad, OUT, Boult takes a superb low catch on the square leg fence off the first ball of Anderson‘s 2nd over to dismiss Shehzad
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1.6 ov: Boult to Mohammad Rizwan, FOUR
1.1 ov: Boult to Mohammad Hafeez, OUT, Hafeez tries to cut Boult over the top early in the 2nd over and is well caught by Santner
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0.6 ov: Anderson to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR
Hafeez and Shehzad are Pakistan’s openers.
Corey Anderson has been thrown the new ball to open the second innings as Kiwis try to defend 196 to win the T20 series.
Watch New Zealand‘s smashing performance:
20 overs done and 196/5 on the board. Anderson scores 82 from 42. Early contributions from Williamson (33) and Guptil (42) boosted Black Caps in the opening.
End of 20th over: New Zealand 196-5
VIDEO: Fall of wickets
18.6 ov: Wahab Riaz to Anderson, FOUR
18.5 ov: Wahab Riaz to Anderson, FOUR, Anderson goes for a big shot, outside edge races away away towards third-man fence for four runs
18.1 ov: Wahab Riaz to Ronchi, OUT, Ronchi goes long and straight 3rd ball and is well taken by Akmal off Riaz. Struck it very well but a good catch. Santner to the crease
17.5 ov: Elliot run OUT for 19 after hitting a sumptuous six over cover. Ronchi joins Anderson who s unbeaten on 63
17.3 ov: Imad Wasim to Elliott, SIX, Elliott, comes down the wicket and launches it over extra cover
17.1 ov: Imad Wasim to Grant Elliott, FOUR
16.6 ov: Wahab Riaz to Anderson, SIX, Anderson goes back and launches it over long-on fence for a six
150 up in the 17th over. Anderson leading the charge home with 56 from 31, has Elliot at the other end.
16.2 ov: Wahab Riaz to Anderson, FOUR, Anderson smashes it over cover
15.4 ov: Fifty comes up for Anderson, fuller in length ball by Amir, outside off stump, outside edge races away towards third-man fence for FOUR runs
15.3 ov: Mohammad Amir to Anderson, SIX
End of over 15th over: New Zealand 129/3
13.1 ov: Shahid Afridi to Corey Anderson. Anderson goes back and launches it over long-on for a SIX
Ross Taylor cuts one to the point boundary to end the 12th over but comes from the field clutching his side. Elliot replaces him
11.6 ov: Shoaib Malik to Taylor, FOUR
11.5 ov: Shoaib Malik to Corey Anderson, SIX, Anderson rocks back and pulls away over mid-wicket
10.6 ov: OUT, Williamson falls on the final ball of the 11th over, holes out to long-on off Riaz for 33 from 34. Taylor joins Anderson.
WATCH VIDEO:
End of 10th over: New Zealand 85/2
9.5 ov: Shahid Afridi to Kane Williamson, SIX, Williamson heaves the ball away towards mid-wicket
8.3 ov: Anwar Ali to Kane Williamson, FOUR, Williamson moves across and tucks away towards deep mid-wicket
6.5 ov: Anwar Ali to Williamson. Williamson tucks it towards short mid-wicket, Mohammad Rizwan picks up the ball and makes a direct throw, Munro was well short from his crease, OUT
Watch great throw by Mohammad Rizwan:
5.6 ov: Shahid Afridi to Guptill, OUT, Umar Akmal sets under the ball and takes a well judge catch.
End of over 5th over: New Zealand 52/0
4.1 ov: Wahab Riaz to Guptill, FOUR, Guptill moves across and flicks away towards deep backward square leg fence for four runs
3.6 ov: Amir to Kane Williamson. Williamson moves across and flicks it wide of mid-on fielder for FOUR runs
2.6 ov: Imad Wasim to Guptill, FOUR
2.5 ov: Imad Wasim to Guptill, FOUR
2.4 ov: Imad Wasim to Guptill, SIX
1.6 ov: Guptill makes room and smashes it through extra cover for FOUR runs, Amir‘s over ends
0.6 ov: Anwar Ali to Guptill. Guptill launches it over cow corner, SIX
0.5 ov: Anwar Ali to Guptill. Guptill clears his front leg and lifts it over mid-off, FOUR
0.1 ov: Anwar Ali to Guptill, FOUR
MJ Guptill and KS Williamson walk out to the middle.
Match begins !!
Players observed one-minute silence in memory of victims of terrorist attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda.
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