All round Pakistan seals the series 2-1 beating New Zealand by 18 runs
Updated - 28 Jan 2018, 05:05 PM
All round Pakistan beats New Zealand by 18 runs to win the series 2-1 at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui in a nail-biter. Pakistan overpowered New Zealand, setting them a daunting 182 to win and then constricting them in the field to leapfrog New Zealand in ICC T20I teams ranking.
Pakistan opted to bat first, looking to maintain the template of the previous T20I game. Opener Fakhar Zaman got Pakistan off to a solid start, smashing 46 from 36 balls before the middle order consolidated through Sarfraz Ahmed (29), Haris Sohail (20*), Umar Amin (21) and Aamer Yamim (15* from 6 balls).
Mitchell Santner (2/24) was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers as Pakistani batsmen ran a rampage over the other bowlers. Though Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals, every batsman chipped with some useful runs to continue the momentum. Sarfraz Khan & Co. were confident about their chances at the half-way stage.
However, New Zealand opener Martin Guptill (59 from 43) started to get going on the Powerplay. But Shadab Khan (2/19) played a brilliant hand, dismissing Anaru Kitchen and Guptill in the same over to leave New Zealand 87/3 with seven overs left.
Since then the hosts were always chasing the game and despite a late strike from Ross Taylor, who struck three mammoth sixes in his 25 from 11 balls, and Santner (24 from 12), Pakistan won comfortably by 18 runs to take the series home.
This was a big win for Pakistan in several ways. To come back from six consecutive defeats in limited overs cricket in unfamiliar conditions to finish the tour off on a high, to become the best T20I side in the world. The young Pakistan team has earned a lot.
Brief Score: Pakistan 181 (Zaman 46, Sarfraz 29, Santner 2-24) beat New Zealand 163 (Guptill 59, Taylor 25, Shadab 2-19) by 18 runs.
Here is how the Twitter reacted as Pakistan wraps the series 2-1:
Finally No 1 T20 team. Congratulations we won the match and series as well. Pakistan Zindabad. ? #NZvsPAK
— Saith Abdullah (@SaithAbdullah99) January 28, 2018
#Pakistan become number one in #ICC #T20 Rankings after defeating #NewZealand 2-1 in the series. This is Pakistan's 5th consecutive series win since the WT20 2016 plus a one-off victory in Manchester. Sarfraz Ahmed has never lost a series as captain. #NZvPak #PakVsNZ #NZvsPAK
— Vinod Maheshwari ?? (@Viniii112) January 28, 2018
T20 Rank #1
Congratulations Pakistan Cricket Team. #PakvsNZ#PAKvNZ#NZvPAK#NZvsPAK— Atif Afridi (@atif_afridey) January 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/HoorainAadeez/status/957551542672019457
That double wicket over by Shadab Khan but the game changer was the over By Amir in which he took the wicket of Ross Taylor,Maan gaye boss @76Shadabkhan @iamamirofficial #NZvsPAK
— Ahsan (@lasthopeofpak) January 28, 2018
In this #NZvsPAK series we have seen blind umpiring.
— Qasim Umar (@QasimUmar210) January 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/AkberAli2611/status/957545320182927360
Waiting for @najamsethi to come back from hibernation. Anytime now…. #NZvsPak
— Comrade Dude (@Dudefrom87) January 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/Mohsin_shakel/status/957546399247294469
Here is the newsfeed:
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Martin Guptill Pakistan national cricket team Shadab Khan
