Pakistan take on New Zealand in fourth T20I in Rawalpindi today
Cricket
Team Green lead the five match series 2-1
RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Pakistan will lock horns with New Zealand in fourth game of the five-match T20I series in Rawalpindi today (Thursday).
The Babar Azam-led team lead the table 2-1. The hosts failed to seal the series as they were defeated by Kiwis in the third game.
The match will start at 9pm today.
New Zealand overcame Iftikhar Ahmed’s blistering innings to win the third T20I by four runs in front of an almost full capacity Gaddafi Stadium on Monday evening. This was the Kiwis’ first win in the T20I series which also kept them alive in the five-match series, as the previous two matches were won by the hosts at the same venue by 88 runs and 38 runs, respectively.
Chasing 164 to win, the home side didn’t have a good start as they lost seven wickets inside 15 overs with 88 runs on the board. Right-handed Iftikhar was joined by left-handed Faheem Ashraf and the pair went on to add 61 runs off just 26 balls.
With 72 runs required from the last five overs at the required run-rate of 14.40, Iftikhar and Faheem took the charge to the Kiwis’ bowlers and collected 16 runs from the 16th over. The 18th over of the innings – the most expensive over of the innings brought 23 runs for the side, where three sixes and a four was struck off Adam Milne’s over as the fast bowler ended-up with match figures of 4-0-37-2.
Only eight runs came off the 19th over of the innings in which the tourists got a prized scalp of Faheem, who got out for 27 off 14 balls, striking two sixes and as many fours.
With 15 runs required in the final over to win the match and two wickets in hand, Iftikhar struck Jimmy Neesham for a six on the first ball and then for a four on the third ball to bring down the equation to five off three balls, but Neesham kept his cool and took Iftikhar’s wicket on the fourth ball and then Haris Rauf off the last ball to give New Zealand a four-run win.
