On Sunday, in an exhilarating fourth T20 showdown, New Zealand outclassed Pakistan by an imposing 115-run victory. Held under the lights, Pakistan crumbled to a meek 105 in reply to New Zealand’s imposing 220. With this win, New Zealand has clinched the T20 series with a decisive 3-1 advantage, with a final fixture remaining at the scenic Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand on Wednesday.
Abdul Samad stood tall for Pakistan, leading the scorers with 44 runs from 30 balls, while only Irfan Niazi joined him in reaching double figures.
In the bowling department, Jacob Duffy’s sharp performance with four wickets spearheaded the New Zealand attack. Zakary Foulkes snatched three wickets, while Will O’Rourke, Ish Sodhi, and James Neesham backed the effort with one each.
Pakistan’s innings began to unravel as Mohammad Haris was dismissed for just 2 runs, closely followed by Hassan Nawaz for only 1, and skipper Salman Agha succumbing to just a single.
Shadab Khan’s run of unremarkable form persisted as he ended with a wicketless 49-run spree in four overs and was bowled out for a solitary run.
Irfan Niazi, precariously dropped by James Neesham on 11 from Will O’Rourke, displayed grit to score 24. Khushdil Shah’s resistance ended after a brief contribution of six runs.
Pakistan’s decision to field first backfired when New Zealand set an imposing target of 221. Their batsmen crafted vital cameo contributions, with Finn Allen spearheading with a rapid 50 off just 20 balls. Micheal Bracewell (46 off 26), Tim Siefert (44 off 22), Daryl Mitchell (29 off 23), and Mark Chapman (24 off 16) all chipped in with brisk runs.
Despite Haris Rauf’s commendable bowling effort, taking three wickets for 27, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s drop in the 19th over proved costly. Both Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan found themselves under siege, each leaking 49 runs over their four overs without claiming a single wicket.