Pakistan, New Zealand second ODI abandoned due to rain
Rain had delayed toss and start of second ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand at Napier.
NAPIER (Dunya News/AFP) – Rain washed out the second one-day international between New Zealand and Pakistan in Napier on Thursday.
Umpires Bruce Oxenford and Billy Bowden waited more than four hours for the weather to clear and inspected the conditions in Napier at 07:30 PST and 10.20 PST.
But when the rain finally stopped there was no sun to dry the waterlogged outfield and the match was abandoned.
Joking about the occasion, New Zealand Captain Kane Williamson remarked that the reason behind the rain was it only rained when they scheduled a cricket match. Humoring on the delay, the Kiwi s Captain said he lives in Napier and is convinced that the match was the cause of the rain.
Pakistan are one down in the three-match ODI series after losing the opening match against hosts by 70 runs at Basin Reserve in Wellington on Monday. A solid 82 by Henry Nicholls followed by a ninth-wicket batting blitz carried New Zealand to a convincing 70-run victory in the opening one-day international.
In reply to New Zealand’s 280-8, Pakistan skittled out for 210 with four overs remaining. Nicholls apart, New Zealand’s recognised run-makers struggled against a fired-up Pakistan attack, with the other six batsmen in the top seven contributing just 47 in total.
Sarfraz Ahmed (30) and Anwar Ali (16) put on 35 for the seventh wicket but their partnership ended when they tried to lift the scoring.
