PAKISTAN BEAT NZ TO KEEP SEMI-FINAL HOPES ALIVE
Babar Azam struck an unbeaten century to help Pakistan beat New Zealand by six wickets in their ICC Cricket World Cup match played at Birmingham yesterday. The 24-year-old remained unbeaten on 101 as Pakistan overtook New Zealand’s total of 237 for six with five balls to spare.
Azam struck 11 boundaries during his 127-ball knock and also added 126 runs for the fourth-wicket with Haris Sohail.
Azam also became the second-fastest to reach 3,000 one-day international runs as he reached the milestone in his 68th innings.
Babar took 11 innings more than South Africa’s Hashim Amla, who reached the milestone in 57 innings, but overtook West Indies great Viv Richards (69 innings).
Earlier, Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme hit fighting half centuries as New Zealand posted 237 for six after Shaheen Shah Afridi’s three-wicket burst left them in a perilous position.
Neesham finished with a career-best oneday international score of 97 not out, hitting a six off the final ball, while De Grandhomme scored 64.
The pair, who came together at 83 for five, added 132 for the sixth wicket, repairing the damage after a collapse following Kane Williamson’s decision to bat in overcast conditions.
Teenager Shaheen, who finished with figures of three for 28 in his 10 overs, wrecked the New Zealand top order, taking three wickets in 20 balls.
Neesham whose previous highest ODI score was 74, hit five fours and three sixes in his sixth ODI fifty and was ably supported by De Grandhomme.
New Zealand were wobbling badly when the in-form Williamson was dismissed by leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who enticed the captain into giving an edge to wicket-keeper Sarfaraz Ahmed when he was on 41.
Williamson, who had scored centuries in each of his previous innings, put on 37 for the fifth wicket with Neesham after New Zealand had slipped to 46 for four.
Overnight rain delayed the start by an hour but the umpires decided the match would remain at 50 overs per side. (Agencies)