Tag: Tri-series

CHRISTCHURCH: Mohammad Nawaz shone with a match-winning effort of an unbeaten 38-run knock while Haider Ali blasted a quick 31 off 15 to help Pakistan defeat New Zealand by five wickets in the final to clinch the T20I tri-series, here on Friday.

Set to chase 164, Nawaz and Haider stormed through the blackcaps bowlers in the latter half of the innings and put Green Shirts into a comfortable position after they were down to 74/3 in the 12th over.

Nawaz smashed two fours and three sixes during his blistering knock of 38 off 22 while the right-handed Haider thwacked three fours and two sixes to significantly reduce the asking rate before he departed in the 16th over.

Iftikhar Ahmed (25*) joined hands with Nawaz when Asif Ali went back after facing just two balls and the pair then took their side over the finishing line in the final over with three balls to spare.

The reliable opening pair Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were tested greatly by the New Zealand bowling attack, who bowled tightly in the powerplay and did not offer too many opportunities to score runs.

Michael Bracewell provided the hosts with the breakthrough as he dismissed skipper Babar on 15 off 14 in the fifth over and also sent No 3 batter Shan Masood back to the pavilion in the 11th over after the left-hander played an unsettling knock of 19 off 21.

Rizwan, on the other hand, scored 34 off 29, before he was plumbed by leg-spinner Ish Sodhi while trying to attempt a slog-sweep.

Nawaz then joined hands with Haider to build a valiant 56-run partnership for the fifth wicket

Earlier, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson starred with a scintillating half-century amid sensational bowling by Pakistan in the later half of the innings to restrict the Blackcaps to 163/7 in the allotted 20 overs.

New Zealand went for an aggressive start after they were put to bat, hoisting 51 runs in the powerplay for the loss of both the openers, Fin Allen and Devon Conway on 12 and 14, respectively.

Glenn Phillips and skipper Williamson combined excellently for the fourth wicket stand of 50 runs and took the scoreboard to 97/2 in 11.2 overs before Mohammad Nawaz dislodged the strong-looking partnership. Phillips scored 29 off 22 before he walked back.

Pakistan bowled on tight lines and lengths in the death overs as they took four scalps and offered just 29 runs in the last 27 balls of the innings.

Williamson top-scored for his side with an astounding knock of 59 off 38, laced with six boundaries including two sixes before he was dismissed by Shadab Khan in the 16th over.

For Pakistan, Haris Rauf starred with the bowl as he returned splendid figures of 2/22 while Naseem also picked two wickets but he went for 38 runs in his four overs quota. Shadab and Nawaz also took pocketed a wicket each.

CHRISTCHURCH: Pakistan’s dynamic opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan amassed yet another milestone in T20Is as the duo became the first to accumulate 1000 runs in successful run chases.

Babar and Rizwan put on a match-defining 101-run partnership while chasing 174 against Bangladesh in the ongoing T20I Tri-series.

Following their brilliant partnership, the duo has become the first to add 1000 runs in terms of partnership in successful T20I run chases.

Their 101-run partnership against Bangladesh today marked their fifth century-plus in run chases in T20Is.

The pair has put on eight century-plus partnerships overall in T20Is. They also have scored 16 fifty-plus partnerships.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan sank Bangladesh in a thriller by seven wickets with one ball to spare.

Wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan, who top-scored for the side with 69 off 56, adjudged the player of the match for his anchoring knock, while Babar scored 55 off 40.

READ: Babar Azam breaks Virat Kohli’s yet another record 

CHRISTCHURCH: Pakistan captain Babar Azam has added another feather to his cap as he completed 11,000 international runs across all formats in the least number of innings, overtaking India’s Virat Kohli to become the fastest Asian batter to reach the landmark.

Amid the sixth match of the ongoing T20I Tri-series between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Babar anchored the run chase with a magnificent knock of 55. The right-handed batter faced 40 deliveries and smashed nine boundaries.

His brilliant half-century in the run chase turned out to be a landmark knock as he became the fastest Asian batter to accumulate 11,000 international runs.

Babar achieved this feat in 251 innings, while Kohli completed 11,000 runs in 261.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan sank Bangladesh in a thriller by seven wickets with one ball to spare.

Wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan, who top-scored for the side with 69 off 56, adjudged the player of the match for his anchoring knock.

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CHRISTCHURCH: Mohammad Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam starred with brilliant half-centuries before Mohammad Nawaz smashed an unbeaten 45 off 20 to help Pakistan beat Bangladesh by seven wickets in a thrilling penultimate game of the Tri-series, here on Thursday.

Set to chase a respectable target of  174, the reliable duo, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, laid the strong foundation with a centurion opening stand to put Pakistan in a commanding position.

Batting at no 4, Nawaz played a superb cameo as he struck five boundaries and a six to ensure that he took his side home after a slight jitter in the middle.

The Green Shirts were sailing comfortably to the target before medium pacer Hasan Mahmud struck twice in the 13th over to send set batter Babar Azam (55 off 40) and incoming Haider Ali (0) back to the pavilion.

Following this minor hassle, Rizwan then joined hands with Nawaz and built another valiant partnership of 64 runs for the fourth wicket to take Pakistan near the finishing line before he fell prey to part-timer Soumya Sarkar in the second last over.

Player of the match, Rizwan top-scored for the side as he played a courageous knock of 69 off 56, laced with four boundaries.

Earlier, Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das scored magnificent half-centries as they stormed through the Pakistani bowling attack with a valiant 88-run partnership for the fourth wicket, helping their side to post a respectable total of 173/6.

Das starred with 69 off 42, laced with six fours and two sixes, while Shakib scored 68 off 42, including three sixes and seven fours, as the pair anchored  Bangladesh’s batting after they slipped to 41/2 in the 6th over.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Bangladesh had a dismal start to their innings as opener Sarkar fell cheaply on 4 in the third over by pacer Naseem Shah before Mohammad Wasim got rid of Najmul Hossain Shanto.

Shakib then combined excellently with Das as they moved the scoreboard at an impressive speed in the middle overs and took the total to 129 in the 15th over before the latter was removed by Nawaz while hitting big.

Green Shirts, however, made a comeback in the death overs offering just 12 runs while picking three wickets in the last two overs.

For Pakistan, Naseem and Wasim bagged two wickets each while Nawaz took a scalp.

CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand thrashed Bangladesh by 48 runs after an outstanding all-round performance to set up the tri-series final against Pakistan on Friday. 

The crushing defeat eliminated Bangladesh from the ongoing T20 tri-series as they remained winless throughout the campaign with a game still left.

Opener Devon Conway raised a brilliant half-century before Glenn Phillips smacked Bangladesh bowlers to cleaners as he scored a blistering 60 off 24 balls to help New Zealand post a mammoth 209-run target after they were put to bat.

Blackcaps bowlers, on the other hand, stormed through the batting line, despite brave resistance from skipper Shakib Al Hasan who scored 70 off 40 while Bangladesh were restricted to 160/7.

Bangladesh went for a robust attack during the chase as the team cruised to 90/2 in 9.5,  overs before they started to lose wickets at regular intervals.

Shakib and Soumya Sarkar anchored Bangladesh’s inning as the two built a defiant 43-run partnership for the third wicket before the latter was removed by Adam Milne on 23 off 17.

Following the dismissal, Bangladesh lost the track of their chase as the next three batters Afif Hossain (4), Nurul Hasan (2) and Yasir Ali (6) fell cheaply between the 11th and 16th overs.

For New Zealand, Milne returned the impressive bowling figures of 3/24 while Michael Bracewell and Tim Southee bagged two wickets each.

Earlier, New Zealand batters whipped the opposition’s bowling attack and raised 66 runs in the last five overs to take the scoreboard to 208/5 in the allotted 20 overs.

Blackcaps had an impressive start after as the opening pair of Conway and Finn Allen hoisted 45 runs in mere 25 balls before the latter fell prey to Shoriful Islam. Allen walked back after scoring 32 off 19 including three four and two sixes.

Martin Guptil, who batted at No 3 in Williamson’s place, looked impressive in his first outing in the ongoing Tri-series as he hit three fours and a six during his 34-run knock and anchored the Blackcaps innings with a valiant second-wicket partnership of 87 runs along with Conway.

Conway, on the other, left the crease in the 17th after playing a magnificent knock of 64 off 40 while No 4 batter Phillips smashed five sixes and two fours to take his team to the commanding position in the game.

For Bangladesh, Mohammad Saifuddin and Ebadot Hussain bagged two wickets each while Shoriful had a scalp to his credit.

 

CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand spinners stormed through the Pakistan batting line before openers Fin Allen and Devon Conway pounded the bowlers to clinch a comprehensive nine-wicket win for the Blackcaps in the ongoing tri-series, here on Tuesday. 

With the dominating win, Kiwis avenged the earlier defeat by six wickets in their first encounter against Pakistan on Saturday.

Set to chase a paltry 131, Allen smashed half a dozen sixes during his blistering knock of 65 off 42 while Conway contributed with an unbeaten 49 off 46, propelling their side to achieve the target with 23 balls to spare.

The pair raised a phenomenal opening partnership of 117 runs before Shadab Khan struck with the lone wicket for the bowling side as he stumped out Allen.

Earlier, Pakistan went through a dismal day with the bat and failed to hit a single six during the whole innings after they opted to bat first.

Michael Bracewell and Mitchel Santner dismissed two wickets each while Ish Sodhi struck one to jitter the Green Shirts’ batting line before Iftikhar Ahmed and Asif Ali put up a slight resistance as they built a 51-run partnership for the seventh wicket.

The steady partnership between the two was only broken in the last over by veteran pacer Tim Southee who bowled an impressive final over, striking two wickets and conceding just two runs, to restrict Pakistan to 130/7 in the allotted 20 overs.

Iftikhar top-scored for Pakistan with 27 off 27 balls while Asif scored an unbeaten 25 off 20.

On the other hand, Mohammad Rizwan (16), Shan Masood (14), Babar Azam (21), Shadab Khan (8) and Haider Ali (8) failed to impress.

Bracewell had the first breakthrough for New Zealand when he dismissed Rizwan in the 5th over after he faced 17 balls.

Santner joined the attack and ceased Shan Masood’s brief stay on the crease in the 8th over to set off the alarm bells for Pakistan.

No.4 batter Shadab fell cheaply by the left-arm spinner before the skipper Babar, who was looking in fine touch, was sent back to the pavilion by Bracewell in the 11th over.

Blackcaps forced Pakistan to be on the back foot throughout the game as they were reduced to 77/5 in the 14th over when Ish Sodhi dismissed Haider cheaply on 8.

New Zealand will now lock horns against Bangladesh on Wednesday (Tomorrow) while Pakistan faces the latter on Thursday in their final encounter before the final on Friday between the top two teams.

CHRISTCHURCH: Opener Devon Conway starred with a glittering 70-run knock as New Zealand sealed a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Tri-series, here on Sunday.  

Bangladesh lost their second consecutive match in the ongoing Tri-series, whereas New Zealand secured their first win since both the teams were defeated by Pakistan on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Kiwi bowlers stormed through the middle order and reduced Bangladesh to 137/8 in the allotted 20 overs after they opted to field first.

Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee and Michael Bracewell bagged two wickets each while Bangladesh batters failed to put up an impressive show as opener Najumul Hasan Shanto top-scored for the side with a cautious 33 off 29.

New Zealand, on the other hand, took the Bangladesh bowlers to the cleaners as Conway smashed seven fours and a six during his unbeaten knock while Glenn Philips played a superb cameo as he hit 23 off 9, laced with two four and as many sixes to take his side home.

Kiwi Opener Fin Allen scored 16 off 18 while skipper Kane Williamson contributed with 30 off 29 as the hosts chased the target in 17.5 overs for the loss of just two wickets.

New Zealand will now face Pakistan for the second time in Tri-series on Tuesday before they lock horns with Bangladesh again on Wednesday.

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CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand’s camp has been rocked by another massive blow as their speedster Lockie Ferguson is likely to miss the entirety of the ongoing T20I Tri-series involving Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Ferguson, who is coping with a slight abdominal ailment, is questionable for the current series, which further hinders New Zealand, which was already missing the services of Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner due to injuries.

His injury dealt a serious setback to the team’s bowling unit, which is already concerned about the health of key pacer Adam Milne.

As a result, the Blackcaps are relying only on their experienced duo of Tim Southee and Trent Boult as they are the only renowned bowlers in their lineup.

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead termed Ferguson’s injury ‘not serious’ but will be treated with care in order to regain complete fitness ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup later this month.

“Lockie has a little ab injury at the moment. We’re just managing just that and the most important thing is we get to the start of the World Cup and Lockie is ready to go. He’s a very, very important cog in our bowling line-up. Unfortunately for him, he missed last year’s World Cup with the injury he had then.”

“I mean we are mindful of it and we want to make sure that he’s right and ready for those early games in the World Cup. There is that chance [of him missing the entire tri-series]. We will just see how he responds to treatment over the next few days,” Stead said in an official statement.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan thrashed New Zealand by six wickets in the second match of the ongoing tri-series and firmed their top spot in the standings. The two sides will meet again on Tuesday.

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KARACHI: Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez remained unpleased with the shuffling in the national team’s middle order during the second fixture of the ongoing T20 Tri-series in New Zealand and claimed that the move can give short-term success only.

In the recently-concluded second match of the ongoing Tri-nation T20 series in New Zealand, Pakistan comfortably outclassed the hosts by six wickets to secure the top berth in the standings.

Pakistan’s T20I vice-captain Shadab Khan, who was promoted to bat at No.4, played a crucial knock of 34 runs in the run chase and bolstered the green shirts to chase the 148-run target with 10 balls to spare.

Former Pakistan captain Hafeez, however, seemed unpleased by the tactics and claimed that it can only benefit the national team for short-term success.

“Promotion of [Shadab Khan] at no 4 & M[ohammad Nawaz] at no 5 can give short-term success but [will] put more pressure & doubts in the minds of middle order batters,” Hafeez tweeted.

“Why they [are] there for??? If no confidence in them then why they are with the team?? Middle order [will] remain an issue,” Hafeez questioned.

Promotion of @76Shadabkhan at no 4 & @mnawaz94 at no 5 can give short term success but wil put more pressure & doubts in the minds of middle order batters. Why they r there for??? If no confidence on them then why they r with the team?? Middle order wil remain an issue… #PAKvNZ

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) October 8, 2022

 

Cricket fans, on the other hand, had an otherwise opinion as they claimed that Shadab batting at No.4 can fix Pakistan’s struggling middle-order woes.

“Facing Middle Order problems ?? One Solution: SHADAB KHAN At No.4,” A cricket fan wrote.

Facing Middle Order problems ??

One Solution: SHADAB KHAN At
No.4 🔥🔥#PAKVNZ pic.twitter.com/kZBo53eBz0

— DAN! (@Daniyal__khaan) October 8, 2022

Another cricket fan supported Shadab’s promotion in the batting order and also stated that Haider Ali and Asif Ali can be used as finishers.

“I think this batting order is suitable with Shadab coming at the top and we can use Haider’s power-hitting skills and Asif ali as finishers,” he tweeted.

I think this batting order is suitable with Shadab coming at top and we can use Haider's power hitting skills and Asif ali as finishers 👍💯

— Mohammad Ahmed (@Mohammad2945) October 8, 2022

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan will come face to face with New Zealand again in their next T20 Tri-series fixture, a win over the hosts can take them to the final.

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CHRISTCHURCH: Pakistan captain Babar Azam led the way with a magnificent knock of 79* in the run chase and powered his side to a dominating six-wicket win over New Zealand in the second match of the ongoing Tri-nation series.

Set to chase 147, Pakistan comfortably steered to victory in the 19th over with six wickets to spare, thanks to a terrific match-winning from their captain Babar.

The touring side had an unwanted start to their run chase as they lost their key batter Mohammad Rizwan early, who could manage to score four off 12 deliveries.

Left-handed batter Shan Masood failed to contribute in the run chase as he bagged a two-ball duck and Pakistan, as a result, slipped to 37/2 in the sixth over.

Following the slump, Babar then joined hands with Shadab, who was promoted to bat at No.4, and set the tone for the run chase as the pair added crucial 61 runs for the third wicket.

Babar played an anchoring role in the partnership and soon brought up his half-century, while Shadab was accelerating the proceedings with a quickfire cameo.

Blair Tickner, however, halted Shadab’s heroics in the 13th over and provided his side with a much-needed breakthrough. He scored 34 off just 22, laced with two boundaries and as many sixes.

Mohammad Nawaz (19) then added vital runs for their team and put on a brief partnership with Babar and put Pakistan on the verge of a second victory in the ongoing tri-series.

Babar top-scored for his side with a brilliant knock of 79 not out off just 53 deliveries and smashed 11 boundaries. His sensible knock earned him the player of the match award.

Haider, on the other hand, scored 10 off just two deliveries, courtesy of a six and a boundary.

Tickner led the bowling attack for New Zealand as he bagged two wickets but was expensive, while Tim Southee and Trent Boult struck out a batter apiece.

Batting first after winning the toss, New Zealand were off to a poor start as the side lost their opener Finn Allen (13) at a combined score of 16 in the third over.

Devon Conway then joined hands with skipper Kane Williamson and anchored the innings with a gritty 61-run partnership for the second wicket.

Williamson and Conway remained too slow amid their second wicket as they conceded 52 balls in the proceeding.

Conway, while attempting to accelerate his knock, fell victim to Mohammad Nawaz in the 11th over. The left-handed batter top-scored for the side with 36 off 35 deliveries with the help of two boundaries and as many sixes.

The left-arm spinner then castled Williamson in his next over and caused New Zealand to slip to 88/3 in 13 overs. He scored 31 off 30 including a boundary.

Following the slump, Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman stood up for their team and added 42 runs at a quick pace and powered the home side to a commendable total before Shahnawaz Dahani struck in the 18th over to remove Phillips for 18.

The hosts then began to lose wickets at an alarming rate, courtesy of a brilliant 19th over from Haris, who bagged three wickets including that of Chapman, who scored a quickfire 32. His 16-ball knock included three boundaries and two sixes.

Besides Haris, Mohammad Nawaz and Mohammad Wasim Jr bagged two wickets each, while Dahani made one scalp.