New Zealand National Cricket Team (NZ) defeated Pakistan National Cricket Team (PNC) by 7 wickets in the fourth T20 International at Hagley Oval, Christchurch on 19 January 2024, chasing 159 runs from 18.1 overs, and allowing Pakistan to score only 158/5. The fourth T20I of Pakistan’s series against New Zealand was a showcase of the hosts’ pressure handling skills and another decisive win. Despite Mohammad Rizwan’s brilliant unbeaten 90 off a batting-friendly surface, Pakistan still couldn’t cross 158/5.
New Zealand were bowled out in the first over for 20/3 but bounced back with an unbeaten 139-run stand with Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips. They had to rely on their match winning performance to take the Black Caps through and they did so with 11 balls to spare to prove the team’s batting depth and more than just another dominating performance in the series.
New Zealand National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: Match Overview
- Date: Friday, January 19, 2024
- Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
- Toss: New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl
- Umpires: Shaun Haig, Wayne Knights
- Third Umpire: Chris Brown
- Match Referee: Jeff Crowe
New Zealand National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: Team Wise Score
Pakistan Innings: 158-5 (20 Ov)
Pakistan began poorly in their innings and was not able to score freely enough. However, they could score only 158 for five in 20 overs with Mohammad Rizwan making a brilliant hitting 90 runs not out off 63 balls. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan assured a strong partnership at the crease, however, spin restricted their run rate in the middle phase. This effectively choked Pakistan’s middle order as New Zealand’s bowlers maintained a tight line and length especially Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson.
Pakistan Batting Performance
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saim Ayub | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16.67 |
| Mohammad Rizwan (wk) | 90* | 63 | 6 | 3 | 142.86 |
| Babar Azam (c) | 19 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 172.73 |
| Fakhar Zaman | 9 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 60.00 |
| Sahibzada Farhan | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 71.43 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 21* | 9 | 3 | 0 | 233.33 |
Extras: 7 lb 1, w 6, (b 0, nb 0, p 0)
Total: 158 for 5 (20 overs)
Fall of Wickets
| Wicket | Fall | Batter Out | Over |
| 1 | 5-1 | Saim Ayub | 1.5 |
| 2 | 56-2 | Babar Azam | 6.6 |
| 3 | 83-3 | Fakhar Zaman | 12.3 |
| 4 | 86-4 | Sahibzada Farhan | 12.6 |
| 5 | 126-5 | Iftikhar Ahmed | 17.4 |
Pakistan Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | NB | WD | ECO |
| Tim Southee | 4 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 |
| Matt Henry | 4 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5.50 |
| Adam Milne | 4 | 0 | 49 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12.20 |
| Lockie Ferguson | 4 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6.80 |
| Mitchell Santner | 4 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.80 |
Powerplays:
- Overs 0.1-6: Pakistan scored 51 runs for the loss of 2 wickets.
Key Moments in Pakistan’s Innings
- Early Collapse: This was an early set back for Pakistan as openers Saim Ayub got out for 1 run in the second over.
- Rizwan’s Steady Anchor: The batting again was anchored by Mohammad Rizwan, who had a crucial knock of 90* with the bat.
- Middle-Order Struggles: The middle order comprising Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan failed to rotate the strike and this caused a delay in Pakistan’s run making process.
- Nawaz’s Late Surge: Despite 21* from Mohammad Nawaz off 9 balls, they could manage to post only a mediocre score and set a below-par target.
New Zealand Innings: 159-3 (18.1 Overs)
Chasing the target, the Kiwi cricketers started poorly as they lost three wickets in the first three overs. Pakistani fast bowler Shaheen Afridi got rid of both the openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert and Will Young. Nonetheless, a remarkable recovery was seen with Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips which made an unbeaten 139-run partnership to register a victory for New Zealand in 18.1 overs.
New Zealand Batting Performance
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Finn Allen | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 200.00 |
| Tim Seifert (wk) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Will Young | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Daryl Mitchell | 72* | 44 | 7 | 2 | 163.64 |
| Glenn Phillips | 70* | 52 | 5 | 3 | 134.62 |
Extras: 5 ( lb 1, w 4, b 0, nb 0, p 0)
Total: 159 for 3 (18.1 overs)
Fall of Wickets
| Wicket | Fall | Batter Out | Over |
| 1 | 8-1 | Finn Allen | 0.4 |
| 2 | 10-2 | Tim Seifert | 0.6 |
| 3 | 20-3 | Will Young | 2.4 |
New Zealand Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | NB | WD | ECO |
| Shaheen Afridi (c) | 4 | 0 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8.50 |
| Zaman Khan | 4 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7.50 |
| Haris Rauf | 3.1 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.20 |
| Mohammad Wasim Jr | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.00 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 4 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.20 |
Powerplays:
- Overs 0.1-6: New Zealand scored 38 runs for the loss of 3 wickets.
New Zealand National Cricket Team Squad
| Player | Role |
| Finn Allen | Opening Batter |
| Tim Seifert | Wicketkeeper Batter |
| Will Young | Top-order Batter |
| Daryl Mitchell | Batting All-rounder |
| Glenn Phillips | Middle-order Batter / Wicketkeeper |
| Mitchell Santner (c) | Bowling All-rounder (Captain) |
| James Neesham | All-rounder |
| Matt Henry | Right-arm Fast Bowler |
| Lockie Ferguson | Right-arm Fast Bowler |
| Adam Milne | Right-arm Fast Bowler |
| Tim Southee | Right-arm Fast-medium Bowler |
Pakistan National Cricket Team Squad
| Player | Role |
| Mohammad Rizwan (wk) | Wicketkeeper Batter |
| Saim Ayub | Opening Batter |
| Babar Azam | Top-order Batter |
| Fakhar Zaman | Opening Batter |
| Sahibzada Farhan | Top-order Batter |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | Batting All-rounder |
| Mohammad Nawaz | Bowling All-rounder |
| Shaheen Afridi (c) | Left-arm Fast Bowler (Captain) |
| Mohammad Wasim Jr | Right-arm Fast Bowler |
| Haris Rauf | Right-arm Fast Bowler |
| Zaman Khan | Right-arm Fast Bowler |
Top Performers
| Category | Player | Performance |
| Player of the Match | Daryl Mitchell | 72* (44) |
| Top Scorer | Mohammad Rizwan | 90* (63) |
| Top Scorer (NZ) | Glenn Phillips | 70* (52) |
| Best Bowler (NZ) | Matt Henry | 2/22 |
| Best Bowler (PAK) | Shaheen Afridi | 3/34 |
Key Moments in New Zealand’s Innings
- Shaheen Afridi’s Early Strikes: And, for Pakistan’s, their captain Shaheen Afridi was the early menace that pinned New Zealand at 20-3.
- Mitchell-Phillips Partnership: The time when Mitchell played an unbeaten 72 and Phillips scored an unbeaten 70 proved very fruitful as the two maintained their nerves during celebration of their hundred-run partnership.
- Mitchell’s Class: Daryl Mitchell is always a great all-rounder bowler, but his aggressive attacking but tactical innings made sure NZ remained on top while Phillips was an ideal partner for him.
- Steady Finish: However, the compressed middle order experienced Kiwi pair had no trouble in taking the side home with the victory achieved with 11 balls remaining.
Conclusion
New Zealand dominated Pakistan in all departments to make it easier for them to register a 5-0 whitewash over the green shirts. Mitchell and Phillips, playing stable for New Zealand most of the time, must have comprehended that the early blows from Shaheen Afridi had the potential to demoralise most teams out there. Pakistan will need to rethink their middle-order strategies and seek more consistency to challenge top-tier teams.
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