New Zealand vs Pakistan: Fourth T20 cricket match – as it happened
All the updates as New Zealand beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the fourth T20 of the series.
This blog is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates as New Zealand beat Pakistan on Friday, January 19, 2024:
This blog is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates as New Zealand beat Pakistan on Friday, January 19, 2024:
- New Zealand beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the fourth T20 international of their five-match series.
- New Zealand had already stormed to an unassailable 3-0 lead with a 45-run win in Dunedin on Wednesday.
- Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips scored unbeaten fifties as the Kiwis recovered from losing three early wickets to Shaheen Shah Afridi.
- Teams around the globe are preparing for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which starts in the United States and West Indies on June 1.
Goodbye for now
That’s it from the live page.
We’ll be back with the final match of the series in two days.
Can Pakistan pull one back?
Plenty of live coverage between now and then with the Asian Cup page already under way with Adam as Iran face Japan and the AFCON meeting between Senegal and Cameroon to come later.
From me, Kevin Hand, it’s goodbye for now.
‘We didn’t take our chances again’
Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi admits his side threw that game away.
“The way the game started was good for us, but in the middle overs, we didn’t take our opportunities,” Shaheen told NZTV.
“One hundred seventy was a good total on this wicket, but with those missed chances, we could have won this one.”
Mitchell is player of the match again
“We knew the new ball might do a little bit, and the way Shaheen and that bowled, it made it challenging up the top,” Mitchell told TVNZ.
“For Phillips to come out and build a partnership like that and to finish it off, we’ll take that for sure.”
Brutal for the Pakistan bowlers
What a blow to Pakistan after such a good start with the ball.
It was a vastly improved performance from the first three games of the series.
A 4-0 lead for the Kiwis
We take a 4-0 series lead in Ōtautahi - Christchurch 🏏
A New Zealand T20I record 4th-wicket partnership (139) between Glenn Phillips (70*) and Daryl Mitchell (72*) leading the team to victory. Catch up on all scores | https://t.co/o9Xq34Wc2h 📲#NZvPAK #CricketNation pic.twitter.com/Zc7MEkou1h
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) January 19, 2024
New Zealand win by seven wickets!
Mitchell pulls Rauf for four off the first ball of the over.
18 overs. New Zealand 155-3
Phillips uppercuts for six over cover – what a shot.
The Kiwis are nearly there.
Zaman was short and only just off target.
Mitchell goes for the big shot as well as he pulls Zaman off a length for six more over midwicket.
Four to win.
17 overs. New Zealand 140-3
Phillips hammers Rauf for six off the second ball of the over.
That’s more than Rauf conceded in total in each of this first two overs.
The bouncer is usually a strength from Rauf.
Mitchell backs deep into his crease and hits a lofted drive back over the bowler.
The next ball is swung for two and the Kiwis are in a rush to get this done now. 15 off the over.
Brilliant fightback – can Pakistan find a twist?
16 overs. New Zealand 125-3
Mitchell hooks Shaheen for six to bring up his fifty. Great knock from the man who was player of the match in the opening game of the series.
Just 34 balls for his fifty.
Eleven off the over and Shaheen finishes with 3-34 off his four overs.
The skipper being bowled out is not ideal for Pakistan.
15 overs. New Zealand 114-3
Zaman pulls an over back for Pakistan.
Just six runs off it.
It is reaching the stage that the fielding team need a wicket though, the balance of power is shifting with the batters well set.
14 overs. New Zealand 108-3
Phillips thumps a six back over Nawaz and then drops a single next ball to bring up his 50 off 41 balls.
New Zealand are certainly back in this and it’s game on.
Mitchell looks for a similar shot when he gets the strike but he picks out Farhan – it’s a terrible drop.
Second big miss of the innings for Pakistan. Will it be their fielding that costs them? Both batters have had a life now.
A reverse sweep last ball from Mitchell ends the over with another boundary.
13 overs. New Zealand 94-3
Mitchell hooks Wasim’s third ball for four then steps away and flays a cut backward of point for back-to-back boundaries.
One, or both, of these two batters will look to go big now and turn this game.
Whichever remains, if the other falls, sees the job home.
It won’t be that simple as Pakistan have found form with the ball.
12 overs. New Zealand 83-3
Nawaz nearly gets out of the over conceding a two and two singles and he nearly gets a wicket to finish.
Instead, as Phillips rocks back and edges an attempted punch, the ball flies just wide of the keeper for four.
An apology for the bowler from Phillips!
11 overs. New Zealand 75-3
Just five runs off Rauf’s second over. Same as his first.
And thoughts of an appeal for caught behind after an attempted hook to a very sharp bouncer.
This is a wonderful contest between bat and ball.
Ten overs. New Zealand 70-3
Nawaz nearly picks up Mitchell who pulls to deep square but Wasim doesn’t seem to pick it up.
The ball drops just short of the fielder, who barely moved.
The pair reach a fifty partnership.
Now 89 are needed to win from 60 at the half-way stage.
Eight off the first three balls
The Kiwis are taking a liking to Nawaz.
Four off the first ball and a single off the second.
Then a slip in the outfield allows Phillips to get back for a third from a cut.
Nine overs. New Zealand 60-3
Another over and another boundary for New Zealand. Wasim drops short this time and Mitchell hooks the seamer backward of square for four.
Three singles in addtion off the over.
If the Kiwis can keep wickets in hand then it is a modest chase.
Eight overs. New Zealand 53-3
A boundary at last for New Zealand.
Nawaz drops short and Phillips pulls him for four early in the over.
Five singles off the over otherwise.
Seven overs. New Zealand 44-3
Wasim concedes two twos and two singles off his first over.
Pakistan are fully on top here.
It’s not the batting surface everyone expected.
Six overs. New Zealand 38-3
Zaman concedes just three singles off the final over of the power play.
Pakistan were 51-1 at the same stage.
Five overs. New Zealand 35-3
Shaheen is hunting wickets as he bowls a third straight over.
Phillips is struck on the helmet but is fine to carry on.
He drive the next ball for four down the ground.
Four overs. New Zealand 26-3
Rauf is into the attack and concedes just five runs.
He took some serious tap in the last match but is one of Pakistan’s finest.
The bowlers have a huge chance to make amends for a tough series so far.
Three overs. New Zealand 21-3
Just five off the over for Shaheen who has all three wickets.
Phillips is the new batter alongside Mitchell.
WICKET! Young is out! New Zealand 20-3
Young pulls Shaheen to Nawaz, who takes a great catch at midwicket.
Trouble here for the Kiwis.
2.4 overs bowled.
Two overs. New Zealand 16-2
A quieter second over for all.
Zaman concedes just six runs – a very short bouncer signalled as wide was included in that.