Black Caps Down Pakistan Again

New Zealand vs. Pakistan, 2nd T20I, Seddon Park, Hamilton December 28, 2010


Pakistan has succumbed to New Zealand once again. Not long ago they were considered the best team in T20 format but now they have lost six matches consecutively. Coaching staff and captain are left with very little time to rebuild the team’s confidence before the test and ODI series.

Pakistan won the toss and asked New Zealand to bat under heavy conditions. Jesse Ryder was snapped by the keeper down the leg side on the very first ball off Abdul Razzaq but Martin Guptill and James Franklin defied Pakistan for more than half of the innings to put on a magnificent 91 run partnership. Guptill was at his fierce best hitting 3 sixes and 4 fours in his 48 while Franklin provided a supporting hand with 40 off 43 balls. Captain Ross Taylor was going smoothly but the real impetus to the innings was provided by Scott Styris and Peter McGlashan. Styris punished Shoaib while McGlashan murdered Umar Gul with his improvised shots hitting two sixes and two fours in one of his overs. Saeed Ajmal was pick of the bowlers with 3 for 35 while Gul gave away 47 runs in his 3 overs. The Yorkers and slower one which he is famous for were surprisingly missing from his bowling. They posted an imposing 185 for 7 which was a difficult task for Pakistan’s struggling batsmen.

Pakistan’s hope relied on their opening pair and the fact that short boundaries would make the task easy for their stroke players as they would not have to rotate the strike regularly. Afridi after hitting one massive six over extra-cover departed the very next ball off a Kyle Mills full toss. Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad played sensibly without being extravagant and overly aggressive. Hafeez played two lovely shots for towards the leg side off the quick bowlers. Both went for six runs effortlessly. Shehzad got out as soon as he tried to become unorthodox and Hafeez who was looking to take Pakistan along was mindlessly run out by in-coming Umar Akmal. That was a crucial wicket as the batsmen on crease now were both on zero and New Zealand through debutant Luke Woodcock and Tim Southee were strangling them with tight bowling. Younis and debutant Asad Shafiq were taken out by Nathan McCullum in no time. Abdul Razzaq gave Pakistan hope with two lusty blows into the crowd but wickets continued to tumble as he left caught behind off McCullum again. Umar and Wahab Riaz flashed for a little but it was too little too late for Pakistan. Southee was on a hat-trick again in the last over when both these batsmen holed out in the deep. Pakistan ended with a paltry 146 for 9 in 20 overs losing the match by 39 runs. Hafeez played well for his 46 off 30 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes. Nathan McCullum was named the Man of the Match for his brilliant 4 for 16 in 4 overs.

Pakistan batsmen did not have a clue against the length which the New Zealanders bowled at. Their bowlers too were not able to restrict the opposition batsmen as they either bowled too short or too full. New Zealand has taken an unassailable lead in the 3 match series. The semi-finalists of the last World T20 will play for their pride in the last match.