Robinson, Bowlers Help New Zealand Go 2-1 Up Against Pakistan
A maiden T20I 51 (36) by opener Tim Robinson and spirited bowling from the fast-bowling duo of O’Rourke and Sears helped New Zealand beat Pakistan by 4 runs in the fourth match and lead the five-match T20I series 2-1 at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Thursday night
New Zealand secured a narrow victory against Pakistan by 4 runs in the fourth match of the five-match T20I series at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday night. Opener Tim Robinson impressed with a maiden T20I half-century, scoring 51 runs off 36 balls. Additionally, the fast-bowling pair of O’Rourke and Sears delivered spirited performances with the ball, contributing significantly to New Zealand’s success. With this win, New Zealand now leads the series 2-1.
Youngsters O’Rourke and Ben Sears emerged as the standout performers with the ball, displaying remarkable economy rates of 3-27 and 2-27, respectively. Their impressive bowling efforts played a crucial role in restricting Pakistan to 174-8 in their pursuit of a target of 179. Despite bowling in front of a capacity crowd at the Gaddafi Stadium, they maintained their composure and delivered exceptional performances.
Their efforts not only helped New Zealand take the lead in the series but also surprised local cricket pundits who had predicted a whitewash for the inexperienced visiting Kiwi side. Although experienced bowlers Michael Bracewell and James Neesham chipped in with a wicket each, conceding 31 and 21 runs off their allocated overs, respectively, it was the youthful duo of O’Rourke and Sears who stole the limelight.
However, Jacob Duffy and Ish Sodhi couldn’t make much of an impact, conceding 42 and 21 runs in their respective six wicketless overs. Despite this, New Zealand managed to put up a commendable performance, showcasing the talent and potential within their squad.
Right from the outset of the innings, the Kiwi bowlers displayed freedom and ferocity, applying consistent pressure on the Pakistani batsmen. This strategy resulted in regular wickets, keeping Pakistan under constant pressure throughout their innings. New Zealand executed a discernible plan against the Pakistani batsmen, which proved successful.
In their chase of 179, Pakistan faced setbacks early on, losing both openers Babar Azam (5 off 5 balls) and Saim Ayub (20 off 15 balls) within the powerplay. The loss of Usman Khan (16 off 11 balls) in the following over further intensified the pressure on Pakistan, leaving them reeling at 46-3. This early collapse hindered Pakistan’s pursuit of the target, putting them on the back foot in the match.
Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan took charge of the innings, but Shadab’s departure for 7 runs off 8 balls in the 10th over left his partner alone with the team total at 79-4. Fakhar and Iftikhar formed a partnership, adding 59 runs off 41 balls, providing Pakistan with hope of reaching the target. However, those hopes were dashed with the dismissal of Iftikhar Ahmed for 23 runs off 20 balls. Despite Fakhar Zaman’s valiant effort of 61 runs off 45 balls, his departure in the 18th over diminished any remaining hopes. Imad Wasim contributed with 22 runs off 11 balls in an attempt to steer Pakistan to victory, but the task proved too challenging, especially after all-rounder Abbas Afridi was run out for 1 run off 2 balls. Pakistan ultimately fell short by four runs.
In the earlier stages of the match, the Kiwis enjoyed their best opening start of the series so far, with Blundel and Robinson scoring 56 runs in the first five overs of the powerplay. The duo laid a solid foundation, with 56 runs on the board for the first wicket before Tom Blundel was dismissed for 28 runs off 15 balls.
Dean Foxcroft made a valuable contribution with 34 runs off 26 balls, including three sixes. Mark Chapman, the hero of the third T20I, managed to score only 9 runs off as many balls before being dismissed by a spectacular catch from Shadab Khan off Iftikhar Ahmed’s bowling. Tim Robinson took 36 balls to reach his maiden fifty, scoring a patient 51 runs. The Kiwis accumulated 93 runs in the first 10 overs, reaching the 100-run mark in 11.2 overs off 69 balls. Captain Michael Bracewell played a steady innings, scoring 27 runs off 20 balls, steering his team to a total of 180 runs, which he had set as the target for his team at the toss.
Bracewell and James Neesham (11 off 11 balls) combined for a crucial partnership of 37 runs for the sixth wicket, after New Zealand had lost five wickets for 132 runs in 14.3 overs. However, Neesham couldn’t make a significant impact with the bat. Josh Clarkson fell to the first ball he faced, dismissed by a searing yorker from Abbas Afridi, while Ish Sodhi was the last batsman to be dismissed off the final ball of the innings, falling to Mohammad Amir’s slower delivery.
The Kiwis made a promising start in the first half of their innings, scoring 93 runs for the loss of one wicket. However, they struggled to accelerate as desired in the second half, managing only 85 runs and losing six wickets in the process. The Black Caps concluded their innings at 178-7, setting a target of 179 for Pakistan to chase.
Abbas Afridi stood out as the most effective bowler for Pakistan, claiming three wickets for 20 runs off three overs. Mohammad Amir, Zaman Khan, Usama Mir, and Iftikhar Ahmed also contributed with one wicket each, conceding 32, 35, 43, and 14 runs respectively. Zaman Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed bowled three and two overs each. Imad Wasim remained wicketless, conceding 32 runs off his allocated four overs.
Pakistan made four changes in the team, incorporating Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim, Usama Mir, and Zaman Khan, as part of their rotation policy, aiming to provide opportunities to all players in their quest to find a formidable combination for the ICC Men’s T20I World Cup in West Indies and USA 2024. However, these alterations in combinations have yet to yield the desired results. Pakistan will face New Zealand in the final match of the series at the same venue on April 27 (Saturday) at 7:30 p.m. They hope to secure a series-leveling victory, while the Black Caps will be determined to clinch the series win.
