Christchurch [New Zealand], March 16: Fiery bowling from pacers Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson crushed Pakistan’s hopes of a strong start to their new era under captain Salman Agha, as New Zealand won the first T20I by nine wickets. The victory gives the Kiwis a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
After winning the toss and electing to field first, New Zealand’s pacers were relentless, with Jamieson (3/8 in 4 overs) and Duffy (4/14 in 3.4 overs) tearing through the Pakistan batting lineup. Pakistan’s top order crumbled to 11/4 in just 4.4 overs, with key batters Mohammad Haris (0) and Shadab Khan (6) dismissed cheaply. Despite a brief 46-run partnership between captain Salman Agha (18) and Khushdil Shah (32), Pakistan’s collapse continued as they were bowled out for just 91 runs in 18.4 overs. Ish Sodhi (2/27) and Zakary Foulkes (1/11) also contributed to the demolition of Pakistan’s batting.
This was Pakistan’s lowest total in New Zealand, surpassing their previous lowest of 101 runs in Wellington back in 2016.
In reply, New Zealand made light work of the chase, racing to 53/1 at the end of the powerplay, compared to Pakistan’s 14/4. Tim Seifert (44 in 29 balls, with seven fours and a six) provided the bulk of the early runs before being dismissed by spinner Abrar. Finn Allen (29* in 17 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Tim Robinson (18* in 15 balls, with a six) guided New Zealand to victory in just 10.1 overs, with nine wickets in hand.
Jamieson was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for his brilliant bowling performance.