Pakistan beat New Zealand by five wickets at the T20 World Cup; Haris Rauf took 4-22 as the Black Caps were restricted to 134-8 before Asif Ali and Shoaib Malik helped Pakistan recover from a mid-innings stumble to get over the line with eight balls to spare in Sharjah
Tuesday 26 October 2021 19:44, UK
Pakistan overcame a mid-innings wobble as they chased down 135 to beat New Zealand by five wickets and make it two wins from two at the T20 World Cup.
Haris Rauf was the star with the ball, taking 4-22, as New Zealand were restricted to 134-8 from their 20 overs after being asked to bat first.
However, Pakistan found themselves under pressure at 87-5 in the chase with just 31 balls remaining before Asif Ali (27no from 12 balls) came in and blasted three sixes, including two in a row off Tim Southee, to help get Babar Azam's men over the line in the 19th over.
After their momentous victory over India on Sunday, Pakistan maintain their 100 per cent start to the tournament and sit top of Group 2 after inflicting a defeat on the Black Caps in their opening match.
After Shaheen Shah Afridi sent down a maiden to start the innings, New Zealand's openers made a steady start before Rauf was introduced in the last over of the powerplay and proceeded to bowl Martin Guptill (17 from 20), via the right-hander's thigh pad, with his second ball.
Daryl Mitchell (27 from 20) thumped the second of his two sixes over long off before falling next ball to Imad Wasim trying to add a third and New Zealand were in a spot of bother at 56-3 the start of the 10th when Mohammad Hafeez struck first ball to remove Jimmy Neesham.
While Kane Williamson remained they were still relatively comfortable with the skipper content to bide his time, presumably with the hope of kicking on late in the innings.
He never got the chance, though, as he set off for a single after pushing a Hasan Ali delivery into the offside, only for the bowler to gather the ball and throw down the stumps in a flash with Williamson (25 from 26) unable to remake his ground.
Devon Conway (27 from 24) kept the scoreboard moving before he was the first of two wickets in three balls for Rauf in the 18th over, Afridi had Tim Seifert (8) caught in the next and Rauf bowled Santner (6) with a slower ball to end an underwhelming New Zealand innings.
Pakistan openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan put on an unbroken 152-run stand against India but, after a solid start, the partnership was broken by Tim Southee in the sixth over; a slower ball getting through Babar's (9 from 11) defences and flattening his middle stump to give the Kiwi quick his 100th T20I wicket.
Progress was relatively slow but even after the dismissals of Fakhar Zaman (11 from 17) and Mohammad Hafeez (11 from six) - to a stunning catch from Conway as he ran around the rope from long off and dived full length to claim it - Pakistan appeared in control.
The wicket of Rizwan (33 from 34), lbw to Ish Sodhi (2-28), brought New Zealand back into contention and when Trent Boult pinned Imad Wasim in front in the 15th over, the Kiwis were in the ascendancy.
That all changed in the 17th over as Asif clubbed back-to-back sixes off Southee and although the seamer responded with three dot balls to end the over, the momentum was back with Pakistan - and stayed with them until the end.
Shoaib Malik (26no from 20) took Santner for a four and a six in the next, leaving Asif to hammer his third six off Boult before hitting the winning runs next ball.
Haris Rauf - the Pakistan fast bowler signalled his intent with the first ball he bowled, a rapid yorker angling in at Martin Guptill's toes and finding its target. He bowled the Kiwi opener next ball and added a further three wickets at the death as he switched between ferocious 90mph deliveries and well-disguised slower balls expertly.
Devon Conway - a handy 27 with the bat helped give New Zealand's bowlers a score to defend but really, this is all about his catch - and what a catch, it was. Fielding at long off, Conway saw Mohammad Hafeez skip down the track to Ish Sodhi and smash the ball flat to his left. A lot of players might have given it a token effort, realising the chances of preventing a boundary, let alone catching it, were slim in the extreme. Instead, Conway dashed around the rope, flung himself forward and took the ball at full stretch. Easily the catch of the tournament so far and one that will take some beating.
Asif Ali - Pakistan needed 48 from 31 balls when he walked in at No 7 and in a relatively low-scoring contest, that was going to be far from straightforward. With the assistance of the evergreen Shoaib Malik at the other end, Asif made it look like child's play. He picked Tim Southee's slower ball a mile off to launch the first of his three sixes, swatted the next over long on and belted Trent Boult over deep midwicket to turn what had been a nervy encounter into a comfortable win.
Pakistan play Afghanistan in Dubai on Friday (2.30pm, Sky Sports Cricket), with New Zealand facing India at the same venue on Sunday (1.30pm, Sky Sports Cricket). FULL TV LISTINGS
England and Scotland return to action on Wednesday, having experienced contrasting fortunes in their opening Super 12 games - England rolled West Indies for 55 en route to a six-wicket win, while Scotland were skittled for 60 as they suffered a thumping 130-run loss to Afghanistan.
Kyle Coetzer's Saltires will hope to fare better against fellow qualifiers Namibia in Abu Dhabi (2.30pm, Sky Sports Cricket) - with that game coming after England battle Bangladesh, also in Abu Dhabi (10.30am, Sky Sports Cricket).
Watch the T20 World Cup live on Sky between now and November 14.
