NZ V PAKISTAN
ABU DHABI: Fast bowler Trent Boult became the third New Zealander to take a hattrick in a oneday international as the Black Caps beat Pakistan by 47 runs yesterday.
Boult (three for 54) nailed Pakistan’s top order with the wickets of Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez off successive deliveries after New Zealand posted a decent score of 266 for nine.
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed (64) and Imad Wasim (50) shared a century stand and gave their team a chance before New Zealand bowled it out for 219 in 47.2 overs to take a 10 lead in the threematch series.
Earlier, half centuries from Ross Taylor (80) and Tom Latham (68) revived the Kiwis after captain Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bat.
But Pakistan hit back in the last 10 overs as ace legspinner Shadab Khan (four for 38) took three wickets in four balls and fast bowler Shaheen Afridi ended up with four for 46.
Shadab broke the century stand by having Latham and Henry Nicholls lbw off consecutive balls and one ball later Colin de Grandhomme was caught at slip.
Taylor, who hit five fours in his 112ball knock, looked set for a century but played on to leftarm spinner Wasim before Ish Sodhi (24) and Tim Southee (20) played cameos and lifted New Zealand’s total in the last five overs.
Pakistan’s toporder batsmen did brilliantly in the T20s but were jolted by Boult. The leftarm seamer cramped Zaman and had the lefthander clean bowled in his second over and Azam was snapped up by Taylor, chesthigh at first slip.
Hafeez was trapped leg before wicket as Boult completed the hattrick and nailed Pakistan to three for 8.
Danny Morrison and Shane
Bond are the other New Zealand fast bowlers to have taken
hattricks in ODIs, against India and Australia in 1994 and 2007, respectively.
ImamulHaq (34) and Shoaib Malik (30) shared a 63run stand but fell in space of two runs and Shadab was unlucky to be given out caught behind off Ish Sodhi.
Television replays suggested the ball was nowhere near his bat.
Ahmed and Wasim then raised a 103run stand which brought Pakistan back into the match before Ahmed played on to de Grandhomme’s fullpitched delivery.
Wasim was caught by de Grandhomme soon after reaching his half century and Pakistan lost its last three wickets as Lockie Ferguson finished with three for 36. — AP