New Zealand dominated in Christchurch, defeating Pakistan by 9 wickets in a low-scoring clash, thanks to the outstanding bowling performances from Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson, who humbled the Pakistani batting lineup.
Duffy and Jamieson's New Ball Masterclass
Pakistan was forced to bat first on a bowler-friendly surface at Hagley Oval. The new-look Pakistan team sent out their opening batters, Mohammed Harris and Hasan Nawaz. Kyle Jamieson opened the bowling and took a wicket with his very first delivery, striking with the new ball as it swung and bounced. Mohammed Harris was caught on the edge of the last ball of the first over and dismissed for a duck after just 6 balls.
With the momentum on New Zealand’s side, Jacob Duffy made an impact with his second delivery, dismissing debutant Hasan Nawaz for a duck and leaving Pakistan at 0/2 within the first 8 balls, leaving Pakistan at 0/2 within the first 8 balls. Irfan Khan scored the first run of the innings on the last ball of the second over, finally getting the scoreboard moving.
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Pakistan lost 2 more wickets during the powerplay, with both bowlers continuously troubling the batters. It was a powerplay to forget for Pakistan, who scored only 14 runs while losing 4 wickets in the first 6 overs.
Salman Agha and Khusdil Shah steadied the innings with a decent partnership, adding 46 runs off 39 balls and moving the score from 14/4 to 56/4. However, Ish Sodhi dismissed Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha for 18 off 20 balls.
The fall of wickets continued as Jacob Duffy struck again, removing Khusdil Shah, who had started to look dangerous. At this point, Pakistan was reeling at 64/6. The tailenders tried to score runs, but it was one-way traffic as wickets kept falling, and Pakistan ended their innings all out for just 91 runs in 18 overs.
Jacob Duffy's impressive bowling figures of 4 wickets for 14 runs, along with Kyle Jamieson's 3 wickets for 8 runs and a maiden over, showcased a dominant performance, restricting Pakistan to their lowest total in Christchurch.
Tim Seifert's led the quick chase
New Zealand's opening batters, Tim Seifert and Finn Allen, began their innings confidently, counter-attacking Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Ali during the powerplay. Despite some assistance from bowlers early on, the pitch became more favorable for batting in the second innings.
The duo combined to score 53 runs in the powerplay, but Seifert was dismissed in the final ball of the powerplay, having scored 44 runs off 26 balls, dismissed by Abrar Ahmed, providing a glimmer of hope for Pakistani supporters. Finn Allen and Tim Robinson then finished the chase in just 10.1 overs, putting New Zealand 1-0 up in the 5-match T20I series.
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Overall, it was a one-sided contest from the start, with New Zealand winning the toss and opting to bat first, expertly utilizing the conditions to restrict Pakistan and chase down the target quickly. Kyle Jamieson was named Player of the Match for his superb bowling figures of 3/8.
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