New Zealand’s opening batsman, Tim Siefert, played a pivotal role in his team’s dominant 4-1 T20 series victory over Pakistan.
In four out of the five matches, Siefert, alongside his opening partner Finn Allen, delivered explosive partnerships, including setting a record for New Zealand’s highest powerplay score in the final match. Siefert revealed that their aggressive approach of applying pressure on Pakistan’s bowlers made the game more enjoyable for them.
New Zealand clinched the series despite missing regular captain Mitchell Santner and several other key players. In the opening match, chasing 92 runs, Siefert and Allen formed a 53-run opening partnership off just 35 balls, securing a 9-wicket win. In the rain-affected second match, chasing a target of 136, the openers came together for a 66-run stand off just 29 balls, with seven sixes in the first three overs, setting a record for the most sixes hit by any team in the first three overs of a match. New Zealand won that match by 5 wickets.
The third match was the only one where New Zealand’s opening partnership failed to reach double digits, with Siefert and Allen scoring just 3 runs off 5 balls. This was the only match they lost in the series. In the fourth match, they put on a blistering 59 runs from just 25 balls, helping New Zealand set a massive target of 220, which they chased down with a win by over 100 runs.
By the final match in Wellington on Wednesday, Siefert and Allen were in destructive form. In the powerplay, they accumulated 92 runs, a New Zealand record, with Siefert scoring a blistering 64 off 27 balls. They reached the target of 129 runs in just 10 overs, losing only 2 wickets.
After playing a devastating knock of 97 not out off 38 balls, including 10 sixes and 5 fours, Siefert spoke at the press conference about how his and Allen’s aggressive mindset made everything easier.
“Finn and I have started most of the matches in a fantastic way. The way we put pressure on the bowlers and laid the foundation for the team was really fun,” he said.
“Initially, it was a bit tough, but I think our decision to apply pressure made the job much easier. We just tried to have fun. We’re both good friends, so it’s always fun to spend time with a friend on the field.”
Siefert, who has experience playing in franchise leagues worldwide, believes that this has helped him adapt to various conditions.
“Being around the world’s best players has boosted my confidence, and I’ve learned how to build an innings. This innings might have been a bit tricky, but I think the key is adjusting to bouncy wickets and using pace. If we play another series abroad with the Black Caps, the conditions could be completely different, and we’ll have to adjust our style of play.”
Siefert made his return to the national team after nearly a year, and his performance in this series was outstanding. In the five matches, he scored 249 runs at an average of 62.25 and a strike rate of 207.50, with scores of 44 off 29 balls, 45 off 22 balls, 19 off 9 balls, 44 off 22 balls, and an unbeaten 97 off 38 balls. He was the highest run-scorer of the series, with no other player surpassing 167 runs.
Siefert hit a total of 22 sixes and 20 fours during the series, with Allen following closely behind with 11 sixes. No other player hit more than 7 sixes.
For his brilliant performances, the 30-year-old Siefert was named Player of the Series.
