Pakistan delivered a dominant performance in the third T20, crushing New Zealand by 9 wickets. Hasan Nawaz’s stunning century and aggressive batting by the openers helped Pakistan chase down a mammoth target of 205 runs in just 16 overs.
After losing the first two matches of the series, Pakistan made a strong comeback, restricting New Zealand to 205 runs and then achieving the target with ease.
Pakistan started the chase in an attacking fashion, with openers Mohammad Haris and Hasan Nawaz putting up a fiery show. In the powerplay, they took the score to 74 runs in 6 overs. Mohammad Haris played a blistering knock of 41 runs off 20 balls before getting out.
Hasan Nawaz continued his rampage, smashing a brilliant 105 runs, while captain Salman Agha scored 51 runs at a rapid strike rate. Their unbeaten partnership ensured that Pakistan wrapped up the match 4 overs before the target.
New Zealand faced an early setback when Finn Allen got out for a duck. Tim Seifert and Mark Chapman built a 40-run partnership, but Seifert was dismissed for 19. Chapman played a sensational 94-run innings, hitting 4 sixes and 11 fours.
Other Kiwi batters struggled:
- Daryl Mitchell 17
- Jimmy Neesham 3
- Mitchell Hedge 9
- Kyle Jamieson 0
- Captain Michael Bracewell added 31 runs off 18 balls, including 2 sixes and 3 fours.
For Pakistan, Haris Rauf was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets, while Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, and Abbas Afridi claimed 2 wickets each. Shadab Khan also took a wicket.
After the match, Captain Salman Agha expressed confidence in his team’s ability to win the series. He highlighted the inclusion of Abrar Ahmed and Abbas Afridi, replacing Mohammad Ali and Jahandad Khan. Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell admitted that his side was aiming for a series win but fell short in this crucial match.
