Fast bowlers Jacob Duffy and Zakary Foulkes powered New Zealand to a thumping 15-run win over Pakistan in the fourth T20I to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series at the Bay Oval here on Sunday.
Put in to bat first, New Zealand scored 220/6 in 20 overs, courtesy of a 20-ball half-century from Finn Allen laced with six fours and three maximums. Tim Seifert (44) and Michael Bracewell (46 not out) also made valuable contributions. For the visitors, Haris Rauf starred with figures of 3-27 while Abrar Ahmed picked up two wickets.
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In reply, Pakistan were bowled out for 105 in 16.2 overs as New Zealand’s four-seam attack accounted for nine of the ten wickets. Abdul Samad top-scored for Pakistan with a 30-ball 44 including four fours and two sixes.
For New Zealand, Duffy was the most successful bowler with four scalps to his name while Foulkes claimed 3-25.
Chasing 221, Pakistan couldn’t take advantage of the dew factor as they were continuously troubled by the Black Caps pacers. Will O’Rourke remove Mohammed Haris on the second delivery of the innings? Duffy then dismissed Hasan Nawaz and captain Salman Agha in the second over to dent Pakistan. Foulkes also struck instantly, as he cleaned up Shadab Khan in the fifth over.
Soon Pakistan were reduced to 56/8 in 9.6 over the game was all but over at the halfway stage of the chase. Duffy then got rid of Rauf with Abdul Samad fighting a lone battle with his 44 off 30.
Duffy came back for his final over and added one more wicket to his tally to end with 4 for 20 while Foulkes scalped three overall.
Earlier, openers Seifert and Allen gave a flying start to New Zealand as the hosts reached 50 in 3.5 overs. But Pakistan got the breakthrough immediately as Haris Rauf removed Seifert, who was pulling a short ball to deep midwicket where Khushdil took a stunning catch. New Zealand ended the power-play at 79 for 1, the second-highest powerplay total for any team against Pakistan in men’s T20Is.
After Seifert’s dismissal, Allen continued the onslaught and brought up his fifty off just 19 balls, but perished on the next delivery from Abbas Afridi after miscuing on to mid-off. From 134/2, New Zealand slipped to 149 for 5 as Pakistan bowled five boundary-less overs.
New Zealand then scored 63 runs in the last five overs, with Daryl Mitchell scoring 29 off 23. But it was Bracewell’s cameo of 46 that powered New Zealand past the 200 mark.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 220/6 in 20 overs (Finn Allen 50, Michael Bracewell 46 not out, Tim Seifert 44; Haris Rauf 3-27) beat Pakistan 105 all out in 16.2 overs (Abdul Samad 44; Jacob Duffy 4-20, Zakary Foulkes 3-25) by 115 runs.
