In the first T20 match played in Auckland, New Zealand defeated Pakistan by five wickets. After coming out to bat first, Pakistan, recovering from the initial setbacks, scored a score of 153/9 thanks to Shadab Khan (42). Chasing the score, New Zealand also got the initial setbacks, but they took the fight against Tim Seifert (57).
After winning the toss, Pakistan started off to bat first and had a very poor start and lost their first wicket on a score of eight. Mohammad Rizwan (17) tried to handle the innings, but he was also out for 20. Pakistan’s score was reduced to 39/5 by the ninth over. The team also lost their sixth wicket on a score of 79. All-rounder Shadab Khan handled Pakistan’s innings by scoring 42 runs in 32 balls. Shadab, captaining Pakistan in the match, hit two fours and three sixes in his innings. Fast bowler Faheem Ashraf finally came in and smashed 31 runs off 18 balls. Ashraf’s innings also included two fours and three sixes. Due to these two, Pakistan crossed the score of 150.
26-year-old Jacob Duffy performed brilliantly for New Zealand on his T20 debut. He took four wickets, spending 33 runs in his four overs. In the Powerplay itself, he took three wickets.
Chasing a score of 154, New Zealand lost the wicket of Martin Guptill on the score of eight. After this, he got his second blow on the score of 21 as well. Glenn Phillips (23) shared a 44-run partnership for the third wicket with Tim Siefert. Siefert scored a brilliant innings of 57 from 43 balls which included six fours and a six.
New Zealand had lost the wicket of Siefert at the score of 110 in the 15th over. Mark Champman made a good innings of 34 runs in 20 balls, including 14 runs off the last three balls of the 16th over. James Neesham hit two sixes in the 18th over and finished the match playing an innings of 15 runs off 10 balls. Haris Rauf (29/3) bowled the best for Pakistan, but could not win his team.
