CHRISTCHURCH (Hagley Oval): Pakistan was defeated by Kiwis in the 4th of the 5-match cricket T20I series played here on Friday (19th Jan, 2024).
Green shirts, despite the 90 scored by unbeaten Muhammad Rizwan, merely managed to muster 158 runs up for the loss of 5 wickets.
Kiwis, that successfully chased the target losing three wickets, leads the series 4-0.
APP Adds: The fifth and final T20I of the series will take place at the same venue on Sunday (21st of Jan, 2024).
After being put into bat, Pakistan scored 158 for five in 20 overs, courtesy of an undefeated 90-run knock from wicketkeeper-batter Rizwan, according to information made available here by Pakistan Cricket Board.
The opening batter struck six fours and two sixes during his 63-ball innings.
He added a 51-run partnership with Babar Azam (19, 11b, 2x4s, 1×6) and knitted a 40-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Iftikhar Ahmed (10, 14b).
Left-handed Mohammad Nawaz was the other contributor with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 21 off nine balls, and hitting three sixes in the 19th over of the innings.
For New Zealand, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry bagged two wickets apiece.
In turn, captain Shaheen Shah Afridi led from the front and struck twice in the first over of the run-chase, and again in the third over to put the hosts in a spot of bother leaving them three for 20 in 2.4 overs.
At that stage of the match, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips got together and stitched an unbroken 139-run partnership for the fourth wicket to help New Zealand achieve the target in 18.1 overs.
Mitchell scored an unbeaten 72 off 44 balls, laced with seven fours and two sixes. Right-handed Phillips scored a 52-ball 70, hitting five fours and three sixes.
For the losing side, Shaheen ended up with match figures of three for 34 in four overs.
Scores in brief:
New Zealand beat Pakistan by seven wickets
Pakistan 158-5, 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 90 not out, Mohammad Nawaz 21 not out; Matt Henry 2-22, Lockie Ferguson 2-27)
New Zealand 159-3, 18.1 overs (Daryl Mitchell 72 not out, Glenn Phillips 70 not out; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-34)
Player of the match – Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand).
AFP Adds: Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips combined to steer New Zealand to a seven-wicket win over Pakistan in the fourth Twenty20 international in Christchurch on Friday and place them on the verge of a series clean sweep.
The Black Caps pair scored unbeaten half-centuries in a 139-run stand as the home side reached 159-3 in the 19th over in response to Pakistan’s 158-5.
They were forced to mount a rearguard action after Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi knocked over New Zealand’s top order, reducing them to 3-20 in the third over.
Mitchell scored 72 off 44 balls and Phillips 70 off 52, accelerating over the closing stages to complete victory with 11 balls to spare, having begun their partnership in cautious fashion.
New Zealand can wrap up the series 5-0 in Sunday’s final match at the same Hagley Oval venue.
Pakistan paid for their inability to support opening batter Mohammad Rizwan, who crafted an unbeaten 90 off 63 balls to dominate his side’s innings.
Rizwan found ways to keep the score ticking over against a disciplined New Zealand attack, led by seamers Matt Henry (2-22) and Lockie Ferguson (2-27).
The 31-year-old threatened to reach his second T20 international century but was denied the strike over the closing stages of an innings that featured a relatively low percentage of boundaries: six fours and two sixes.
All rounder Mohammad Nawaz was the only other player to surpass 20 runs, whacking pace bowler Adam Milne for three successive sixes in his final over to post 21 off nine balls.
Babar Azam, who scored half-centuries in each of the first three games, fell for 19 when he skied an attempted pull off Milne in the seventh over.
Pace bowler Afridi had Pakistan right in the contest when he knocked over Finn Allen, Tim Seifert and Will Young cheaply and finished with figures of 3-34.
Allen’s wicket was particularly cherished following the opener’s sensational 137 in game three on Wednesday.
However, Mitchell and Phillips gradually pulled momentum back in New Zealand’s favour and Pakistan potentially blew their last chance at victory when Sahibzada Farhan dropped a straightforward chance in the deep offered by Mitchell in the 14th over.
Newspakistan.tv/APP/AFP
