Detailed New Zealand National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: Key Moments Revealed

The New zealand national cricket team vs pakistan national cricket team match scorecard for their T20I encounter in April 2024 is a great reflection of a series which was very closely contested. The match was played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and Pakistan managed to win the game by 9 runs and thus leveled the 5-match series 2-2. This was an exciting game with many twists and turns that kept the fans on their toes, thanks to the sharp bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi and powerful batting of Babar Azam. Let’s break down the key moments, players, and stats from this encounter.

New Zealand National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard

In this electrifying match, Pakistan was set to bat first after winning the toss. Despite losing some early wickets, the dominant 69 runs from Babar Azam along with a late surge by Fakhar Zaman (43) ensured Pakistan could get to a good total of 178/5 in their 20 overs. Chasing 179, New Zealand was well on course but lost out to the bowling from Pakistan. Opener Shah Afridi gave Pakistan a brilliant start with the ball and took 4 wickets for 30 runs. The timely breakthroughs from Usama Mir further put back New Zealand’s chase. Even Josh Clarkson played some gallant cricket with his knock of 38 runs, but New Zealand ultimately lost by 9 runs and could only make 169 runs in 19.2 overs.

Pakistan innings

Pakistan batted first, and they looked pretty great in the first innings. The half was completed with some reasonable contributions from Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, and Usman Khan against Pakistan, where 178/5 in 20 overs were put on board.

• Pakistan’s opening went on great, losing one wicket at 51. By scoring 30 from his 15 balls Babbar Azam stamped out right away and gave them early lead due to aggressive stroke-play with which he played after early dismissal of Saim Ayub for a duck to put extra pressure. This did not deter the strong Babar who started by anchoring the innings once again and giving some sense of solidity to the very team.
  
• Middle Overs (Overs 7.0 – 14.0):

The match-winning partnership was of Babar and Usman Khan. Babar Azam, even after the early wickets, kept the scoreboard moving. His 69 off 44 balls was very important to Pakistan’s innings, where he hit six boundaries and two sixes. The next man in was Fakhar Zaman, who helped increase the scoring rate, as he smashed 43 off 33 balls. However, his luck almost ran out when Tim Seifert appealed for a stumping, but the third umpire ruled it out. Fakhar took full advantage of this stroke of luck and plundered 14 runs off the next three balls, adding to Pakistan’s total. At this stage, Pakistan had set themselves up for a competitive total.

• Death Overs (Overs 15.0 – 20.0):

Pakistan were able to end well, scoring 39 runs from the last three overs. Shadab Khan came in and finished with 15 not out off five balls, and Imad Wasim’s 4 not out off one ball helped get Pakistan to a competitive total of 178/5 off their 20 overs. The lower-order batting of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usama Mir was not required as the top order had done enough to post a good total. The Pakistan innings was aggressive, and after early losses, they still had a total that would test New Zealand.

Pakistan Innings:

New Zealand Bowling

New Zealand Innings

New Zealand began on the back foot as Tom Blundell fell for a duck off the very first over. However, it was New Zealand’s Tim Seifert who set the tone with a whirlwind knock.

• Powerplay (Overs 0.1 – 6.0):

Aggressive intent could easily have been seen from Seifert’s end as he smashed 52 off 33 deliveries. Gaps left for him without much effort; punishing loose delivery, as Mohammad Amir took it too, he slammed a six monumental in size. Eighty-one on the New Zealand openers in just eight overs were seen after New Zealand, though with losing Seifert caught by Usama Mir for Pakistan’s side started to come back into the game and it looked like dismissal of Seifert really was an changing factor that put them back on top, exerting great deal of pressure on both ends from the batsmen’s end.

• Middle Overs (Overs 7.0 – 14.0):

New Zealand couldn’t keep the momentum going with the wicket of Seifert. Michael Bracewell scored 23 off 21 balls and Mark Chapman could score 12 off 12 balls before he also fell to the blow of Usama Mir and Shadab Khan in two successive overs. James Neesham could manage 16 off 8 balls as well before Shaheen Shah Afridi ended his stay. New Zealand, at this moment, was in trouble with 125/7, though there was little chance to really try and attempt the chase of this target.

• Death Overs: Josh Clarkson’s late swing took New Zealand into reach with a slender hope, though he remained not out on 38 off 26 balls. In the process, he managed some boundaries and sixes and held on to his resilience. However, it was not to be enough as New Zealand lost their last three wickets in a jiffy. Zakary Foulkes (0), Ish Sodhi (3), and Ben Sears (7) were seen falling one after the other to the tight bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi and some poor running between the wickets. The New Zealand innings came to an end at 169 runs, missing the target by 9 runs.

New Zealand Innings:

Pakistan Bowling:

Conclusion

In new zealand national cricket team vs pakistan national cricket team match scorecard, it is revealed how any cricket match at any time can turn dramatically. With Pakistan batting quite determinedly and with a brilliant bowling performance by Shaheen Afridi, the match saw a stunning 9-run victory in favor of Pakistan, making the series square at 2-2. It was an amazing match in which both teams proved their skills and it would be a memorable one, especially with all the tension and involvement of the big players such as Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Although the series went to a draw, cricket fans won’t forget this show.

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