New Zealand Defeats Pakistan in High-Scoring T20 Match

New Zealand‘s cricketers put on an impressive display against Pakistan in the first Twenty20 international on January 12. Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson played key roles in their team’s 46-run victory. Mitchell smashed a quickfire 61 runs from just 27 balls, while Williamson scored 57 runs from 42 deliveries. New Zealand set a record-breaking total of 226 for eight, the highest-ever against Pakistan in a T20 match.

Pakistan had a glimmer of hope as long as Babar Azam was at the crease, but his dismissal for 57 runs in the 16th over dashed their chances. The visitors eventually succumbed to pressure and were all out for 180 runs in just 18 overs. Tim Southee had a stellar performance with the ball, taking four wickets for 25 runs and becoming the first bowler in T20 internationals to reach 150 wickets.

Kane Williamson faced a difficult situation when he came to bat at number three, early in the New Zealand innings. He missed the recent T20 series against Bangladesh due to a knee injury sustained during the Indian Premier League. However, Williamson showed his class and resilience, steadily building the innings. Finn Allen provided an explosive start, scoring 35 runs from 15 balls, including a brutal assault on Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi in the second over.

Both Williamson and Mitchell were given reprieves during their innings, but they made the most of their opportunities. The middle overs proved to be crucial for New Zealand as they built partnerships and put pressure on the Pakistani bowlers. The team piled on runs between the eighth and 14th overs, bolstering their total.

New Zealand’s total could have been higher, but they lost wickets towards the end of the innings. Despite missing all-rounder Mitch Santner, who tested positive for COVID-19 and couldn’t play, the team managed a formidable score. Pakistan’s Abbas Afridi impressed on his debut, taking three wickets for 34 runs.

Pakistan’s innings started explosively, thanks to Saim Ayub’s quickfire knock of 27 runs from just eight balls. However, he was unfortunate to be run out backing up too far. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam kept the chase alive, but Rizwan’s dismissal during the powerplay hindered their progress. Fakhar Zaman fell to an exceptional one-handed catch by Ish Sodhi, but Babar and Iftikhar Ahmed added a valuable partnership.

Pakistan’s run rate fell behind as they struggled to keep up with New Zealand’s required pace. Babar was the key batsman, but he was restricted by New Zealand’s smart bowling tactics. The wickets of Azam Khan and Shaheen Afridi in the 16th over all but ended Pakistan’s hopes. Babar’s dismissal early in the 17th over sealed the victory for New Zealand.