Boult takes five-for, Pakistan routed for 74 in huge loss

(ESPN) They might be the current Champions Trophy holders, but over the last two years, Pakistan have conceded the highest score in the format’s history 444 at Edgbaston. Today, in Dunedin, they came perilously close to posting the lowest ODI score; it was very much on the cards when they reeled at 32 for 8. In a batting performance so listless that even New Zealand appeared to be embarrassed by the ease with which Pakistan’s innings crumbled, the home side rubberstamped their superiority by bowling Pakistan out for 74, winning by a mammoth 183 runs.

Any semblance of a contest was blown to pieces by a sensational opening spell from Trent Boult, who made a mockery of the notion that it was a slow pitch on which bounce was difficult to extract. Azhar Ali was the first to fall. Granted a life two balls earlier, when Santner dropped one at cover, Azhar poked at one outside the off stump and gave first slip a straightforward grab.

Fakhar Zaman had been trying to cut Boult for much of an innings that was destined to be ephemeral. He eventually dragged on. With Hafeez then edging a catch to Ross Taylor at first slip, the contest was over, but the potential for humiliation had only just begun.

The records began to tumble; only on three other occasions since 2006 had a side made less than ten runs in the first Powerplay (Pakistan made 9 for 3 today); only once before had Pakistan lost six wickets for fewer than the 16 they managed today.

Suddenly, the lowestever ODI total - 35 - began to be threatened, as batsmen came - each appearing as clueless, as amateur as the last - and met the same fate.

Pakistan’s ineptitude could spawn much cricketing literature, but New Zealand’s magnificence is far worthier of attention. After Boult and Southee’s brilliance, the change-up bowlers backed them up, their foot never leaving Pakistan’s throat. There was excellent fielding to run out Babar Azam, whose bat got stuck in the pitch as he attempted to drag it over - an appropriate metaphor for the rut Pakistan have found themselves in since reaching New Zealand shores.

The captain Kane Williamson, whose “ugly” innings of 73 began to look prettier by the minute, also took a splendid catch, diving to his right to hold on with one hand. Sarfraz, who was forlornly going down with his ship, remained till the bitter end, watching as his partners came and went. Mohammad Amir flashed at a few deliveries, but the defeat was too chastening for any Pakistan fan to draw entertainment out of it.

The contest ended in the only way that was appropriate, Boult returning to clean up Hasan Ali with an excellent yorker to complete his five-wicket haul. It put Pakistan out of their misery, and gave New Zealand the series with two games remaining.

At the start of the game, the pitch had played far slower than most expected. In scrappy, turgid conditions for batting, New Zealand’s batsmen showed patience and temperament, stringing together several excellent partnerships to put up 257.

Colin Munro and Martin Guptill began like they usually do, each striking a six within the first eight balls. But it soon became evident that that strategy wouldn’t be sustainable.

Munro fell in the second over, having misjudged the pace and bounce of a delivery, lobbing it straight up to Sarfraz.

That brought Williamson and Guptill together, and the run rate came steadily down. It was a difficult surface to get one’s eye in, and the two batsmen rotated the strike instead of taking risks, aware of the importance of kicking on from a start. Williamson occasionally used his feet to the fast bowlers - with some success - but timing proved elusive for both batsmen, and the innings was becoming a grind.

When Taylor came in after Guptill’s run out, he found it far easier to settle in. He was able to manoeuvre the gaps more effectively than any other batsman, two early boundaries through the covers off Shadab Khan setting the tone of the partnership. New Zealand 1st innings Martin Guptill Run Out Sarfraz Ahmed Colin Munro c Sarfraz Ahmed b Faheem Ashraf Kane Williamson c Mohammad Hafeez b Rumman Raees 73 Ross Taylor lbw Shadab Khan 52 Tom Latham c Shoaib Malik b Rumman Raees Henry Nicholls c&b Shadab Khan Mitchell Santner b Hasan Ali Todd Astle c Fakhar Zaman b Rumman Raees 5 Tim Southee b Hasan Ali 6 Lockie Ferguson Not Out 6 Trent Boult b Hasan Ali 13 Extras (2lb 2nb 4w) 8 Total (50.0 overs all out) 257 Fall of Wickets: 1-15 Munro, 2-84 Guptill, 3-158 Williamson, 4-209 Taylor, 5-209 Nicholls, 6-226 Santner, 7-226 Latham, 8233 Astle, 9-239 Southee, 10-257 Boult Bowling: Mohammad Amir 8-1-34-0-4.252w 1nb Faheem Ashraf 6-1-29-1-4.83 Rumman Raees 10-0-51-3-5.10-1w-1nb Hasan Ali 10-0-59-3-5.90-1w Shadab Khan 10-0-51-2-5.10 Shoaib Malik 6-0-31-0-5.17 0 45

8 35 0 6 Trent Boult

Given the nature of the surface, Pakistan unsurprisingly turned to Shoaib Malik to get through some overs. While he didn’t bowl poorly, it meant Pakistan were somewhat anodyne through the middle overs, not looking for wickets as much as they might have done. Williamson survived an lbw shout that was overturned after review, but besides that, New Zealand picked up the scoring rate, with the captain looking much more assured after passing a gritty half-century.

Pakistan were beginning to look desperate for a wicket, and it arrived two balls after the drinks break. Williamson came down the wicket in an attempt to clear mid-off against Raees’ bowling, but didn’t quite find the timing, and Hafeez held on to peg New Zealand back.

Taylor and Tom Latham built another intelligent partnership, but two in two balls from Shadab triggered a New Zealand collapse that restricted their final total. Pakistan 1st innings Azhar Ali c Ross Taylor b Trent Boult Fakhar Zaman b Trent Boult Babar Azam Run Out Mitchell Santner Mohammad Hafeez c Ross Taylor b Trent Boult Shoaib Malik c Ross Taylor b Lockie Ferguson Sarfraz Ahmed Not Out Shadab Khan b Colin Munro Faheem Ashraf c Todd Astle b Lockie Ferguson Hasan Ali c Kane Williamson b Colin Munro 1 Mohammad Amir b Trent Boult 14 Rumman Raees b Trent Boult 16 Extras (6w) 6 Total (27.2 overs all out) 74 Fall of Wickets : 1-1 Ali, 2-2 Zaman, 3-2 Hafeez, 4-13 Azam, 5-15 Malik, 6-16 Khan, 7-30 Ashraf, 8-32 Ali, 9-52 Amir, 10-74 Khan Bowling: Tim Southee 7-3-19-0-2.71-1w Trent Boult 7.2-1-17-5-2.32-1w Colin Munro 7-1-10-2-1.43 Lockie Ferguson 6-028-2-4.67-3w 0 2 0 8

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