Pakistan suffer heaviest T20 defeat as New Zealand romp to series win
Pakistan thumped by 115 runs in Mount Maunganui as they suffer heaviest T20I defeat in their history; tourists rolled for 105 chasing 221 as New Zealand wrap up series win with a game to spare; Hassan Nawaz out for one after 44-ball ton last time out in Auckland; final T20 on Wednesday
Sunday 23 March 2025 12:12, UK
Pakistan tumbled to their heaviest T20 international defeat as New Zealand's 115-run victory at Mount Maunganui wrapped up a series win with a game to spare.
Pakistan were rolled for 105 in 16.2 overs chasing 221 to take the five-match series to a decider in Wellington on Wednesday as New Zealand took an unassailable 3-1 lead.
The tourists' previous biggest T20I loss also came against New Zealand - a 95-run reverse in Wellington in 2016.
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Sunday's hammering came as Pakistan slumped to 9-3 inside two overs, 42-5 after six and then 56-8 after 10, with Kiwi seamers Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes sharing six of those wickets as the hosts got the ball to move significantly under the floodlights.
Hassan Nawaz - who had cracked his side's fastest T20I hundred, from 44 balls, in their nine-wicket win in Auckland on Friday - edged Duffy behind for just one.
Irfan Khan Niazi (24) was the only member of the Pakistan top six to make double figures, with Mohammad Haris (2), Salman Ali Agha (1), Shadab Khan (1) and Khushdil Shah (6) also out cheaply.
Abdul Samad (44 off 30) ensured the tourists passed their lowest T20I total of 74, set against Australia in 2012, and also beyond their worst score against New Zealand, which remains the 91 all out they plummeted to in the first game of this series.
Samad was last man out, stumped by wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, after Duffy removed Shaheen Shah Afridi to finish with 4-20.
New Zealand's Finn Allen (50 off 20) was named Player of the Match after slamming a 19-ball half-century in the Black Caps' 220-6.
Allen shared a stand of 59 from 25 balls with opening partner Tim Seifert (44 off 22), while captain Michael Bracewell cracked an unbeaten 46 off 26 balls.
Seamer Haris Rauf bowled well for Pakistan, claiming 3-27 from four overs at an economy rate of 6.75 as every other member of the attack went at over 10.
