Pakistan National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard:- April 27, 2024, marks the date for the last T20 match between the two cricketing sides. It took place at Gaddafi stadium located in Lahore. Both Pakistan and New Zealand were eagerly anticipating the match trying to figure out strategies to outsmart the other into claiming the fifth in an ‘always green’ series. Both came prepared to get their title in the middle of a two to two persisting tie. Pakistan led with a smaller margin, claiming victory in the fifth round. Leaving the New Zealand side trailing in second position by accumulating an additional nine runs to bring the total Pakistan runs to 183. Around 200 runs were set as a benchmark. This ensured the Pakistan national team confidence from the next series onward.
Pakistan’s Innings: Teetering on Batting Focus: Pakistan National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard
Pakistan, with Babar Azam stepping in as captain yet again, chose to bat first. In their 20 overs, they set a score of 178/5. Babar’s dazzling innings of 69 runs off 44 balls certainly did not come without support, with Fakhar Zaman also fueling the flame with an aggressive 43 off 33. Pakistan also outperformed Zaman with Usman Khan, who contributed a valuable 32. The rest of the team did their bit as well, maintaining a high run rate through their innings.
The New Zealand bowlers had a daunting assignment awaiting them, Pakistan’s batting order was looking in peak form and ready to set fire, beginning with Will O’Rourke, who surprisingly stood out among the rest, defending a score of 25 off 4 runs during his overs. Batting Pakistan to uncontested claim of their record, many of whom were already in the running for the record.
Ben Sears might bring in a hefty cost of 1 for 46 runs, but his pinpoint accuracy fetches him the vital scalp of Babar Aazm, which stunted Pakistan’s roaring innings at an essential moment in the match.
New Zealand’s Chase: A Story of Two Parts
With a target of 179 for the win, New Zealand were off to great start with Tim Seifert scoring 52 runs in just 33 balls. Michael Bracewell chipped in with a valuable 23 and together with Tim’s efforts propelled New Zealand to 92/2 at the halfway mark. It was a solid platform.
Nonetheless, Pakistan’s bowlers pulled off a stunning turnaround towards the backend of the innings. Shaheen Shah Afridi starred in New Zealand’s collapse with a breathtaking spell of 4/30 which effectively sealed the match for Pakistan. His destruction of the New Zealand middle order resulted in a recurring pattern of wicket loss by New Zealand. Usama Mir was also instrumental to the win, making 2/21 and tightening the noose in the vital middle overs.
New Zealand succumbed to 169 runs, 10 runs short with 12 runs needed in the last over, before getting bowled out in 19.2 overs. Even Clarkson’s 38* runs came at the cost of 26 balls, which came at a late cost in the last few overs, but wasn’t enough. The final moments were surely dramatic but Pakistan’s bowlers managed to override the pressure and come out on top, gifting a memorable win to Pakistan.
Key Performances and Turning Points
- Babar Azam’s Leadership: While Babar was in the middle, he found boundaries and rotated the strike, which helped enable Pakistan to post a competitive total
- Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Bowling Masterclass: Afridi was invincible in the decimation of New Zealand as he took four important wickets that undermined their chances during the target chase The amount of speed and movement that he was able to generate on the ball was far too much for the New Zealand tourists
- Usama Mir’s Crucial Breakthroughs: Mir was able to get timely wickets during the middle overs that not only slowed down the scoring rate for New Zealand, but also added pressure on the remaining batsmen.Resilience of Josh Clarkson: Clarkson’s resilient knock kept New Zealand in contention for as long as he could. His strike rate and ability to manipulate angles suggested that he could play the role of a finisher.
Overview of the Pre Final and Final Matches
The five-match T20I series comprising Pakistan and New Zealand was an astounding fight of individual brilliance full of ups and downs for both sides. Every participant to some degree was able to perform and, in the end, it was a 2-2 tie.
For Pakistan, their bowling strength was accentuated by the contributions from Afridi and Mir. Khalid with his bat and as a captain also gave great value to the heads of the selectors.
New Zealand proved to be very strong and competitive regardless of how many first-choice players opted out because of IPL due to some earlier commitments. The emergence of some like Tim Seifert and Josh Clarkson is a good sign for the country’s long term endeavors.
Concluding Remarks : Pakistan National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard
The final match of the T20 series between the Pakistan and New Zealand cricket teams illustrates very well the thrill and entertainment the format has to offer. The complementary show of commanding performances from both sides was capped off with brilliant batting and ruthless bowling to win the decider in what was seemingly an intensely competitive series with close fights at every stage. There is plenty of scope for both the teams later on, but with absolutely no doubt the lessons learned throughout the series these will serve their purpose well.
