Pakistan set a new T20 record in the previous match, beating New Zealand in the third game of the series by chasing down 204 runs in just 16 overs. But today, they failed to chase 221 runs and were all out for just 105, losing by 115 runs.
Instead of continuing their strong form or fighting hard for another big win, Pakistan’s unpredictability showed once again, reminding everyone why the team is often described as “unpredictable.”
Pakistan had already lost the first two matches of the series. With today’s loss in Mount Maunganui, they have now lost the series with one match still to go.
Today, Pakistan’s target was 221, meaning they needed a fast start. However, Mohammad Haris, who had scored 41 runs off 20 balls in the previous match, was out on the second ball of the innings. Hassan Nawaz, who set the record for the fastest T20 century last match, could only score 1 run from 4 balls. Captain Salman Agha also fell for just 1 run.
Pakistan lost 3 wickets for just 9 runs in 2 overs, quickly falling out of the match. The lower-order batsmen failed to play any significant innings. Abdul Samad was the top scorer for Pakistan with 44 runs from 28 balls. His knock helped Pakistan reach the 100-run mark after losing 8 wickets for just 56 runs. Irfan Khan added 24 runs. For New Zealand, Jacob Duffy took 4 wickets for 20 runs, and Zachary Fox claimed 3 wickets for 25 runs.
Earlier, New Zealand, batting first after winning the toss, posted a big total thanks to their top order. Tim Seifert’s aggressive batting helped New Zealand reach 59 runs in the first 4.1 overs. Seifert scored 44 off 22 balls, while his opening partner Finn Allen made a quick-fire fifty from just 19 balls. New Zealand could have posted an even higher total, as they made 134 runs in the first 10 overs, but managed only 86 runs in the final 10 overs. Haris Rauf took 3 wickets, while Abrar Ahmed claimed 2.
Match Summary
- New Zealand: 220/6 in 20 overs (Allen 50, Bracewell 46; Rauf 3/27, Abrar 2/41)
- Pakistan: 105/10 in 16.2 overs (Samad 44, Irfan 24; Duffy 4/20, Fox 3/25)
Player of the Match: Finn Allen.
