Pakistan’s Tour of New Zealand (2nd T20)
New Zealand secured a 2-0 lead in the T20 series against Pakistan, overcoming nerves in the defense and withstanding a fierce batting display from the visitors. The match witnessed high drama and showcased some stellar individual performances.
Opting to field first, New Zealand faced challenges as Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam capitalized on dropped catches, eventually posting fifties each. Despite the strong start, New Zealand found their breakthrough when Adam Milne dismissed Zaman, triggering a collapse in Pakistan’s middle order. The fielding woes aside, New Zealand’s bowlers, especially Milne, Ben Sears, and Tim Southee, made a strong comeback in the latter stages, restricting Pakistan to 173.
New Zealand’s chase then revolved around Finn Allen’s explosive 74, Kane Williamson’s steady contribution, and Mitchell Santner’s quickfire 25. However, Pakistan’s Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi, and Usama Mir kept the pressure on by taking wickets at crucial intervals. New Zealand faced a scare during their defense, but once Milne dismissed Zaman, the tide turned in their favor. Despite some nervous moments, the hosts managed to close out the game.
The win, though hard-fought, highlighted concerns for New Zealand in the fielding department, and they will likely address this ahead of the upcoming matches. On the other hand, Pakistan, despite impressive individual performances, struggled with their middle-order collapse for the second consecutive game.
Chief Scores :
New Zealand – 194 for 8 in 20 overs (Finn Allen 74, Kane Williamson 26, Mitchell Santner 25, Haris Rauf 3 for 38, Abbas Afridi 2 for 43, Usama Mir 1 for 39)
Pakistan – 173 for 10 in 19.3 overs (Babar Azam 66, Fakhar Zaman 50, Shaheen Afridi 22, Adam Milne 4 for 33, Ben Sears 2 for 28, Tim Southee 2 for 31)
