Pakistan down NZ by two runs in last-over thriller
ABU DHABI: Left-arm pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi defended 17 runs in the last over as Pakistan defeated New Zealand by two runs in a thrilling finish to the first Twenty20 international in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
New Zealand needed six off the last delivery to tie the match but experienced batsman Ross Taylor managed just a boundary as New Zealand — set 149 to win — finished at 146-6 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
The victory gave world number one ranked Pakistan their seventh consecutive win since July and 15th in 17 Twenty20 internationals this year.
Pakistan, who are on a roll after whitewashing Australia 3-0 in Dubai on Sunday, now have a 1-0 lead in the three-match series with the last two matches in Dubai on Friday and Sunday.
Mohammad Hafeez top-scored with 45 in Pakistan’s 148-6 after they won the toss and batted.
Taylor finished with a 26-ball 42 not out with three boundaries but could not keep the run rate down as New Zealand needed 53 in the last five overs.
That was in contrast from the first five overs of their innings, dominated by opener Colin Munro’s 42-ball 58 with three sixes and six boundaries.
Pakistan’s varied bowling, led by ZHUHAI, China: Defending champion Julia Goerges gave herself an early birthday present on Thursday by beating Elise Mertens to book her place in the semifinals of WTA Elite Trophy.
The fifth seed bounced back from a bruising defeat to Anett Kontaveit on Wednesday, but overcame Mertens 6-2, 7-6 in a tense round-robin tie in Zhuhai, southern China.
Goerges, who turns 30 on Friday, was pushed all the way in the second set by her 22-year-old Belgian opponent, but the German clinched the nail-biting tie-break 7-5 at the Hengqin International Tennis Centre.
“Well actually I don’t feel like 30 yet,” Goerges told her post-match press conference.
“With my performance today I gave myself the best present I good ask for tomorrow.”
The straight sets victory was enough to take Goerges to the top of the group, and the world number 14 jumped with joy on court and punched the air in celebration.
Asked if she knew she had to win 2-0 qualify, she said: “I knew what I had to do today — to win in straight sets — and I think it was up to me to dictate the game.
“It’s never easy when you know you have to play extremely well to beat someone in straight sets, especially here, where there are only the best players in the world.
“I’m obviously very very happy that I made it in the end.”
‘OUT OF MY HANDS’ Earlier, Australia’s Ashleigh Barty beat an out-of-sorts French number one Caroline Garcia to keep her semifinal hopes alive.
Ninth seed Barty broke Garcia once in each set to win the roundrobin tie 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 16 minutes.
Barty, who lost to Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday, now has to wait for the outcome of Garcia and Sabalenka’s match to see if she will progress to the semifinals on Saturday.
“It’s out of my hands,” Barty said in her post-match press conference.
Second seed Anastasija Sevastova beat China’s Zhang Shuai in Thursday’s evening game 6-0, 7-6.
Despite breezing through the first set, the Latvian was taken to an exhilarating tie-break in the second, which she eventually won 12-10.
The Elite Trophy features 12 players ranked roughly from nine to 20. Hasan Ali with 3-35, pulled them back significantly.
Munro opened up in style, hitt-ing two sixes and a four off Imad Wasim’s fifth over of the innings before greeting Hasan with a six and a boundary to complete New Zealand’s fifty in just 5.4 overs.
But Pakistan dismissed Glenn Phillips (12), Munro, captain Kane Williamson (11) and Colin de Grandhomme (six) as New Zealand stalled at 89-4.
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed praised his team’s ‘never-say-die’ approach in bowling.
“New Zealand are a tough team, but we knew overs 6-12 were crucial and we had to restrict them there,” said Sarfraz. “I thought Shaheen and Hasan were superb and we were once again led admirably by bowlers.”
Williamson believed his team came close to victory.
“We weren’t far away, I thought we were quite good for large parts,” said Williamson. “Pakistan pulled back after Munro’s knock — they are world number one for a reason.”
Earlier, Pakistan lost in-form Babar Azam for seven in the third over while Sahibzada Farhan fell for one as they struggled to 10-2 before Hafeez and Asif Ali (24) lifted them PAKISTAN Babar Azam c Seifert b Milne ................... 7 Sahibzada Farhan c Munro b Patel .......... 1 Asif Ali c Phillips b de Grandhomme ..... 24 Mohammadhafeezcsoutheebmilne.45 Sarfrazahmedcandersonbsodhi ........ 34 Shoaib Malik run out ............................... 8 Faheemashrafnotout .......................... 10 Imad Wasim not out .............................. 14 Extras: (lb2, w3) ..................................... 5 Total: (For six wkts; 20 overs) ...... 148 Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-10, 3-77, 4-93, 5-121, 6-123 Bowling: Patel 4-0-27-1, Southee 4-0-300, Milne 4-0-28-2, Grandhomme 3-0-24-1, Sodhi 4-0-24-1, Munro 1-0-13-0 NEW ZEALAND Cmunrocasifbshadab ........................ 58 G Phillips b Hasan ................................. 12 Kwilliamsoncandbwasim ................. 11 C de Grandhomme run out ...................... 6 Rtaylornotout ...................................... 42 C Anderson c Malik b Hasan .................... 9 T Seifert b Hasan ...................................... 0 T Southee not out ..................................... 5 Extras: (lb2, w1) ..................................... 3 Total: (for six wkts; 20 overs) ....... 146 Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-79, 3-84, 4-89, 5-123, 6-132 Bowling: Wasim 4-0-26-1, Ashraf 2-0-150, Hasan 4-0-35-3, Hafeez 3-0-13-0, Shadab 4-0-26-1, Shaheen 3-0-29-0 during their 67-run stand for the third wicket.
Hafeez hit five boundaries and a six in his 36-ball knock while Asif’s 21ball innings had a six and a boundary.
Pakistan managed 81 runs in the last ten overs with Sarfraz chipping in with a 26-ball 34.