New Zealand thrash Pakistan by nine wickets to lead T20I Series 1-0

CHRISTCHURCH – Inform New Zealand dominated first game against Pakistan with nine-wicket win at Hagley Oval on Sunday, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

The inexperienced Pakistani Team led by Salman Agha was all out on 91, and winning the opener was cakewalk for Kiwis.  Chasing modest target of 91, Tim Seifert and Finn Allen anchored from the start, hitting 53-run partnership in the powerplay.

Seifert made 44 off 29 balls before being dismissed by Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed. Allen remained unbeaten on 29, while Tim Robinson, who scored 18 runs, helped guide New Zealand to victory in just 11 overs.

Besides miserable batting, Pakistani bowlers also struggled to make an impact, with only Abrar Ahmed taking a scalp. New Zealand’s bowlers, led by Kyle Jamieson, were relentless in their attack, with Jamieson picking up three crucial wickets.

Pakistan’s top order collapsed early, with just one run on the board before losing three wickets. Jamieson dismissed Mohammad Haris for a duck, while Irfan Khan scored just one run before falling. Debutant Hasan Nawaz also failed, dismissed for a duck on his second ball. Pakistan was reeling at 11-4 in the fifth over.

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Skipper Salman and Khushdil Shah added 46 runs for the fifth wicket, but their efforts weren’t enough, the latter scored a quick-fire 32 runs, including three sixes, but was dismissed by Duffy, leaving Pakistan at 64-6.

With further wickets falling cheaply, the inexperienced team was eventually bowled out for 91, as debutant Abdul Samad, Jahandad Khan, and Shaheen Afridi all went cheaply.

Jacob Duffy was the star performer for New Zealand, taking four wickets, while Jamieson claimed three, and Ish Sodhi added two more. Foulkes also picked up a wicket, wrapping up a dominant performance by the Kiwis.