Five T20 match Series by 2-2 between PAK vs NZ! © pcb.com
The last game of the cricket series between Pakistan and New Zealand was super exciting! It came down to the last over, with Pakistan winning by just 9 runs to tie the series 2-2.
Pakistan Bats First and Scores Well
After New Zealand elected to field first, Pakistan got off to a steady start thanks to their openers. However, the early dismissal of Saim Ayub put the burden on captain Babar Azam to anchor the innings. Babar Azam played a brilliant innings, scoring 69 runs in 44 balls. He hit the ball well and helped Pakistan get to a good total of 178 runs after 20 overs. Other batsmen like Fakhar Zaman (43 runs) and Usman Khan (31) also chipped in with useful runs.
New Zealand Almost Chases Down the Target
Needing 179 runs to win, New Zealand started well. Their opener, Tim Seifert, hit a quick fifty (52 runs). But then came Pakistan’s fast bowler, Shaheen Afridi! He bowled fast and took four wickets, including Seifert’s. That put much pressure on New Zealand.
A Close Finish!
Even though they kept losing wickets, New Zealand batters kept fighting. Michael Bracewell and Josh Clarkson scored some important runs. In the last few overs, the match got very tense. New Zealand needed just a few runs to win, but Pakistan’s bowlers didn’t give away many runs and took wickets at important times. Finally, New Zealand fell short by just 9 runs!
Stars of the Match
Shaheen Afridi was the hero for Pakistan with his 4 wickets. He bowled well and stopped New Zealand from scoring easily. Also, he was named Player of the Series.
A Great Series!
This whole series between Pakistan and New Zealand was very close. Both teams played well and had a chance to win. Even though New Zealand couldn’t win the series, it was a good fight for them. Pakistan will be happy to have tied the series after losing some earlier matches. This exciting series has shown that both these teams have some talented young players, and it will be fun to see them play against each other again in the future!
Match Summary
Pakistan 178/5 (20) | |
| Babar Azam 69 (44) | James Neesham 1/13 (1) |
| Fakhar Zaman 43 (33) | Will O’Rourke 1/25 (4) |
| Usman Khan 31 (24) | Ish Sodhi 1/30 (4) |
New Zealand 169 (19.2) | |
| Tim Seifert 52 (33) | Shaheen Afridi 4/30 (4) |
| Josh Clarkson 38* (26) | Usama Mir 2/21 (4) |
| Michael Bracewell 23 (21) | Imad Wasim 1/5 (1) |
Toss: NZ won the toss and decided to bowl
Stadium: Gaddafi Stadium
Result: Pakistan won by 9 runs
Player of the Series: Shaheen Afridi (PAK)
Player of the Match: Shaheen Afridi (PAK) – 4/30 (4)
