Tim Seifert of New Zealand bats during game two of the Twenty20 series between the New Zealand Blackcaps and Bangladesh at Bay Oval on December 29, 2023 in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images
Pakistan records its fifth-lowest T20I score following a batting collapse
Author:
Achieng Fayel
Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand, 2025, began with the 1st T20I on March 16th. The five-match series will conclude with the last match on March 26th 2025, after which a three match ODI series will follow.
The chase began at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, with New Zealand winning the toss but opting to bowl, thus putting Pakistan in to bat first. Pakistan scored 91 runs in 18.4 overs, losing 10 wickets, while their opponents chased the target of 92 runs in just 10 overs, losing only one wicket. The hosts defeated the visitors by 9 wickets.
New Zealand bowlers targeted Pakistan’s top-order batters. Jamieson started by dismissing Mohammad Haris, who was out in the 0.6th over for a six-ball duck. He formed partnership with Hasan Nawaz but it didn’t yield any runs. Hasan Nawaz became the second victim to be dismissed for a two-ball duck with the team’s score at 0/2. With Hasan and Mohammad dismissed, it was left to Captain Salman Agha to continue the mission. He scored 18 runs off 20 balls and was assisted by Khushdil, who struck 32 runs off 30 deliveries.
The duo formed a 46 -run partnership for the fifth wicket, elevating the team’s score to 57. The last batter to score double figures was Jahandad Khan, who added 17 runs before his dismissal in 17.1 over when Michael Bracewell took a catch off Zakary Foulkes’ bowling. Middle-order batters Irfan Khan and Shadab Khan did not contribute much. They scored 1/6 and 3/6 respectively.
The rest of the batters struggled to find gaps and score boundaries. Pakistan batters managed to hit just two fours and four sixes in the inning. Jacob Duffy was the pick of the bowlers. He picked 4/14 in 3.4 overs at an economy rate of 3.80. Jacob Duffy dismissed Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Khushdil and Hasan Nawaz. Lower-order batters Shaheen Afridi and Ahmed were dismissed for just 1 off 8 balls and 2 runs off 4 balls respectively. Jamieson chipped in with valuable knocks, picking up 3 wickets in 4 overs, conceding 8 runs, including a maiden over. He was named Man of the Match.
New Zealand required only three batters to chase down Pakistan’s total of 91 runs, hence the rest were not needed. Tim Seifert top scored for New Zealand with 44 unbeaten runs off 29 balls, including seven fours and a six, at a trike rate of 151.72. The opening partnership between Seifert and Finn Allen amounted to 53/35. Tim Seifert was dismissed in the 5.5th over by Abrar Ahmed after Mohammad Haris took a catch on his next delivery.
Finn Allen and Tim Robinson remained not out. After Seifert’s dismissal, Finn added 29 runs. Finn, batting on 20 off 11 balls, formed another crucial partnership with Tim Robinson who scored 18 off 15 balls. Their coalition added 39 runs, boosting the score to 92/1.
Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Jahandad Khan and Shadab Khan couldn’t claim a wicket. However, Abrar Ahmed managed to pick one wicket in 2.1 over, conceding 15 runs.
