NZ v Pak 1st T20I Review: Pakistan start the tour with an impressive win

Pakistan put in a clinical performance to take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match T20I series against New Zealand. The home side won the toss and elected to bowl on a good batting surface at Eden Park. Mohammad Amir made his international return in this match along with Umar Gul while leg-spinner Todd Astle made his T20I debut for New Zealand. Star batsman Ross Taylor was rested for this match by the home team.

It was a quiet start for Pakistan as Matt Henry started with a maiden to Mohammad Hafeez. The second over, which was bowled by Trent Boult, yielded six runs, including a boundary for Hafeez. Ahmed Shehzad heaved a short delivery from Henry over mid-wicket for his first four. In the following over, Hafeez took a liking to Boult, scooping one over fine-leg before coming up with an inside-out drive over extra-cover for back-to-back boundaries. Adam Milne, introduced into the attack in the fifth over, was welcomed by Shehzad with a four and a six. However, the bowler had the last laugh as Shehzad hit the ball straight to Grant Elliott while attempting to go aerial again. The opener departed for 16, leaving Pakistan at 33-1.

Mitchell Santner struck off his opening delivery as Sohaib Maqsood was out stumped for a duck while Astle had a tidy start as he conceded only four runs in his opening over. Shoaib Malik upped the ante with a six and a four off consecutive deliveries in the 10th over. However, he had to depart in the following over, finding Elliott at long-off to give Santner his second wicket.

Hafeez hit his second maximum when he deposited Astle over the mid-wicket fence in the 12th over. He took a single off Santner in the following over to register his eighth T20I fifty. Santner finished with impressive figures of 4-0-14-2. A boundary apiece for Hafeez and Umar Akmal off Boult helped Pakistan past 100 in the 14th over. Hafeez, who pulled a Milne delivery in the 15th over for his eighth four, fell in the same over for a well-compiled 61 off 47.

Shahid Afridi took the attack to Matt Henry and 23 runs came off the over, which included two sixes and two fours for the Pakistani skipper. Umar Akmal who fell for 24 when he handed a catch to Munro giving Milne his third wicket, while Boult bagged his first when Afridi chipped a simple catch to Williamson at extra cover to depart for 23 off 8. In the same over, Imad Wasim scored a boundary to help Pakistan past 150 before hitting the final delivery over fine-leg for a six. He fell in the final over, getting out to Henry for 18. It was another good over for New Zealand as they restricted Pakistan to 171-8

New Zealand looked like they were coasting towards victory at one stage, but a middle-order meltdown cost them dear. They lost Guptill early, after a horrible misunderstanding with his skipper. It didn’t matter a lot as Munro took the attack to the bowling. Amir was unlucky not to pick up the wicket of Williamson in the fourth over. Afridi had plenty of time to get underneath the ball when Williamson was early into a drive and scooped the ball high towards extra-cover. However, the Pakistan skipper put down his New Zealand counterpart to deny Amir his first wicket since his comeback.

Munro took the attack to Umar Gul in the final over of Powerplay to take the run-rate past 8 per over. The Gul over yielded 23 runs which included three sixes and a four for Munro as New Zealand moved to 48-1 after six overs. Munro’s stay came to an end when he was bowled in the 10th over by Riaz for a 27-ball 56. New Zealand lost quick wickets after that and were struggling in the chase. Corey Anderson was out caught & bowled by Imad Wasim while Afridi came up with a double-wicket maiden over in the 14th. He dismissed Elliott and Luke Ronchi while Umar Gul got rid of Santner as New Zealand slipped to 108-6.

Williamson, who was playing a watchful innings, decided to break the shackles in the 16th over. With a six and a four off Riaz, he registered a fighting half-century and brought the equation down to 50 off 24. Amir conceded 11 in the 17th over, which included two boundaries for Williamson. In the following over, Williamson managed a four off Gul, before Astle was castled. A nine-run over by Amir, who also dismissed Henry, left New Zealand needing 20 runs in the final over. Pakistan win was confirmed when Williamson fell to Riaz off the first delivery of the last over. Riaz struck off his last ball, dismissing Boult as New Zealand was bowled out for 155, losing by 16 runs.

Brief Scores:

Pakistan: 171/8: in 20 overs (M Hafeez 61; A Milne 4/37)

New Zealand: 155/10 in 20 overs (K Williamson 70; W Riaz 3/34

Man of the Match: Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)