3 PM IST, 10:30 PM Local Time: That’s it. A humiliating loss for Pakistan at the Bay Oval. New Zealand win the fourth T20I by 115 runs to get an unassailable lead in the series. Pakistan’s batters surrendered big time in the run-chase of 221 and got bundled out on 105. This is New Zealand’s second biggest win in T20Is whereas this is Pakistan’s heaviest defeat.
Pakistan were rocked early in the chase of 221. Mohammad Haris (2), Hasan Nawaz (1) and skipper Agha Salman (1) were sent packing inside the powerplay. There was plenty of help from the surface and the New Zealand seamers made full use of it and reduced Pakistan to 56/8 as the result was a foregone conclusion at the halfway mark.
Muhammad Abdul Samad became the second Pakistani batter to get to double digits after Irfan Khan Niazi (24). Samad kept the Kiwis at bay and scored 44 off 30 balls before getting stumped against Ish Sodhi as Pakistan got bundled out on 105 in 16.2 overs to lose the game by 115 runs. Jacob Duffy bowled magnificently and registered figures of 4/20 in his four overs. Zak Foulkes was also brilliant with the ball. He picked up three scalps, giving away only 25 runs in his four overs.
Earlier, Tim Seifert got New Zealand off to a flying start after they were asked to bat first. He scored a quickfire 22-ball 44 before falling in the fifth over. Finn Allen took on the charge after Seifert’s departure and raced to his fifty off just 19 balls as the scoreboard at the halfway mark of New Zealand’s innings read 134/2.
Pakistan pulled back things by dismissing Allen (50), Jimmy Neesham (3) and Mitchell Hay (3) in quick succession. However, Daryl Mitchell (29) and Michael Bracewell put a solid 56-run stand for the sixth wicket to help the Kiwis finish with a flourish. Bracewell’s 26-ball 46* cameo powered New Zealand to 220/6. Haris Rauf was impressive with the ball for the visitors, registering figures of 3/27. The rest went on a journey and then the batters failed to get going in the chase as they lost by a big margin of 115 runs.