Success extra sweep for Black Caps
They say you can’t beat Wellington on a good day.
On a scorcher at the Basin Reserve, Pakistan required something exceptional to beat New Zealand and they nearly managed it, before the home side sealed their first 5-0 series win in 17 years.
Led by Martin Guptill’s 13th one-day international century – which completed his set against all nine test-playing nations – New Zealand’s 271-7 proved just enough in the fifth one-day international yesterday.
After the returning Matt Henry
(4-53) scythed through Pakistan’s top order and sparked the nowfamiliar pavilion procession, New Zealand dismissed the tourists for
256 to win by 15 runs. Pakistan fought hard and hit out late to narrow the margin but the tailenders were left too much to do, and Henry finished it with an over to spare when No 11 Rumman Raees was caught in the deep.
Not since 2000, when they beat Brian Lara’s West Indies at home, have New Zealand swept a fivematch series.
With three Twenty20 internationals remaining, starting down the road at Westpac Stadium on Monday, the Black Caps matched their 12 successive home wins of last summer.
Pakistan bowled reasonably well and 272 was certainly gettable, but again their top order failed to live up to their pre-series reputations.
Since 2011 Pakistan have lost 10 straight ODIs to the Black Caps in New Zealand.
Babar Azam arrived with a
50-plus average, ranked fourth in the world in ODI batting, but scored 31 runs in five innings. He’s played some poor shots but got a good one this time, a gem from Henry at 140kmh that found the edge to Guptill.
New Zealand’s new ball attack rarely gave Pakistan a look all series, and in Wellington it was no Boult, no problem. Trent Boult was rested and Henry was fresh and champing at the bit for his first match at any level since Boxing Day, and remarkably just his seventh of the home summer.
He was full and straight, shaping the ball away or nipping off the seam, mixed in with the odd lethal short one.
Henry pinned dangerman Fakhar Zaman on the helmet and removed him to a rash drive soon afterwards, and ended his opening five-over spell with 3-11.
When captain Sarfraz Ahmed played a poor shot to Colin de Grandhomme it was 57-5 and some on the hill began filing out of the ground, idyllic scenes as they were.
Haris Sohail and the impressive Shadab Khan combined to add 105 for the sixth wicket and there were some anxious moments, but Mitchell Santner kept his cool to remove both in successive overs. Santner (3-40) was excellent on a pitch that gave him some encouragement.
Having posted 315-7 at the same venue a fortnight earlier, New Zealand’s 271-7 looked a touch skinny given Pakistan were without their top pacemen Hasan Ali and Mohammad Amir.
Guptill was the anchor, batting through to the 42nd over for 100 off 126 balls, but even he found it hard work at times on a pitch where the ball held up and even frustrated the master, Kane Williamson.
Guptill got off the mark spectacularly, a trademark straight drive off Aamer Yamin clearing the sightscreen, and Colin Munro (34 off 24) looked like he’d go large before trying one big shot too many.
Williamson (22 off 36) was circumspect before a rare lapse when he lashed out to deep square, and spinners Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab applied the brakes.
Guptill and his mate Ross Taylor (59 off 73) set it up with a 112 third wicket stand.
Guptill’s first half-century took 63 balls and his second 62 as he paced the innings nicely, determined to reach his first ODI century in 12 innings since that remarkable 180 against South Africa last March.
De Grandhomme got a promotion with eight overs left and his 29 off 21 boosted New Zealand to a handy total.