Pakistan Bowlers Tie New Zealand In Knots In Sharjah

Zeeshan Mehtab Published October 26, 2021 | 10:31 PM

Pakistan kept New Zealand in check in the first innings of their Group 2 clash after Babar Azam won the toss and opted to field first

SHARJAH, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Oct, 2021 ) :Pakistan kept New Zealand in check in the first innings of their Group 2 clash after Babar Azam won the toss and opted to field first.

The Kiwis were handed a blow prior to the toss when the news was confirmed that bowler Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the World Cup with a calf tear.

And it did not get much better for New Zealand once play got underway, as they hobbled to 134/8 off their 20 overs against an in-form Pakistan.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, fresh from his heroics against India on Sunday, bowled a maiden in the opening over to immediately put a batting-heavy New Zealand side under pressure.

While Daryl Mitchell found the boundary twice with big maximums, it was heavy going for New Zealand through the Powerplay.

The openers both fell as they looked to up the scoring rate, with Martin Guptill bowled by Haris Rauf and Mitchell caught at long-on off Imad Wasim.

Jimmy Neesham's visit to the middle lasted just two deliveries as Fakhar Zaman bagged his second catch of the innings to leave New Zealand 60/3 at the midway point of the innings. A partnership between captain Kane Williamson and Devon Conway did hint at a revival for the Black Caps, before Williamson was brilliantly run out by Hasan Ali off his own bowling.

And the innings faltered further in the 18th over when Rauf had Conway and Glenn Phillips both caught in the deep.

Rauf finished with a wicket off the final delivery of the innings to end with stand-out figures of 4/22, with Afridi also impressing with his 1/21.

Of New Zealand's top six, only Mitchell with 27(20) and Conway 27(24) scored at better than a run a ball.

Pakistan, who made a great start to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup with victory over India, will go back above Afghanistan to the top of Group 2 if they successfully chase down the 135-run target.