Pakistan defeat New Zealand to level the series

LAHORE: Captain Babar Azam’s 34th half-century, followed by Shaheen Afridi’s four-fer powered Pakistan to a narrow nine-run victory against New Zealand in the fifth T20I of the five-match series here at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

NZ 169 (19.3 Overs

NZ 167/8 (19 Overs)

Abbas Afridi to bowl the penultimate over

NZ 157/8 (18 Overs)

Amir comes onto the bowl

NZ 146/8 (17 Overs)

16.1: The ball thunders into the front pad of Sodhi and the umpire doesn’t hesitate to raise the dreaded finger. The batter tried to work it away off his pads and didn’t account for the seam movement, looks plumb.

Shaheen Afridi continues

NZ 137/7 (16 Overs)

Shadab Khan returns

NZ 127/7 (15 Overs)

14.3: Shaheen demolishes Foulkes with a pinpoint accurate yorker from round the wicket and it’s right in the blockhole.

14.2: Backs away into the leg side and Neesham tries to crunch it up and over point, Shadab takes a sprawling catch above his head.

Shaheen Afridi returns to the attack

NZ 121/5 (14 Overs)

Mir to bowl his last

NZ 108/5 (13 Overs)

12.1: Imad bowls length delivery that spins back markedly into the middle and McConchie didn’t pick him, no bat involved. The balls rap the back pad, pitching outside off, umpire’s call on impact and hitting wickets.

Imad Wasim replaces Mir

NZ 103/4 (12 Overs)

11.3: Shadab drops it a little short on the middle, Bracewell tries to lift it up and over midwicket but can only drag it to Babar Azam at short midwicket

Shadab Khan comes into the attack

NZ 97/3 (11 Overs)

10.6: Chapman goes too far away across his stumps for an ambitious sweep shot and Usama Mir zips it quicker on off-stump, he fails to connect and the ball rips through the stumps.

Usama Mir continues

NZ 92/2 (10 Overs)

Iftikhar Ahmed replaces Ayub

NZ 81/2 (9 Overs)

8.1: Slightly shorter and drifting in at middle and leg, Seifert yanks his front foot away to slog that into the stands but loses his control and ends up dragging it back onto the stumps.

Usama Mir continues

NZ 81/1 (8 Overs)

Saim Ayub comes onto the bowl

NZ 66/1 (7 Overs)

Usama Mir to bowl

NZ 63/1 (6 Overs)

Amir continues

NZ 49/1 (5 Overs)

Abbas Afridi replaces Shaheen Afridi

NZ 35/1 (4 Overs)

Mohammad Amir comes into the attack

NZ 20/1 (3 Overs)

Shaheen Afridi continues

NZ 14/1 (2 Overs)

Saim Ayub to bowl the second over

NZ 9/1 (1 Over)

0.5: Shaheen hits the hard length and gets it to slant away just a wee bit and enough to get it through the gate, pings the top of off as Blundell goes for a wild swing over midwicket.

Tim Seifert and Tom Blundell come out to bat for New Zealand. Shaheen Afridi to bowl the first over for Pakistan.

PAKISTAN vs NEW ZEALAND (2nd INNINGS)

LAHORE: Babar Azam’s 34th half-century, followed by Fakhar Zaman’s anchoring knock took Pakistan’s total to 178 against New Zealand in the fifth T20I of the five-match series here at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

PAK 178/5 (20 Overs)

Foulkes to bowl the last over

PAK 171/4 (19 Overs)

18.3: Iftikhar stayed deep in the crease and tonked the full toss through the line but he didn’t get much elevation and was caught easily.

James Neesham to bowl the penultimate over

PAK 158/3 (18 Overs)

Sears to bowl his last

PAK 139/3 (17 Overs)

William O’Rourke to bowl his last

PAK 130/3 (16 Overs)

Foulkes returns

PAK 123/3 (15 Overs)

14.6: Snuffs out a terrific yorker and under the bat, smashing the middle stump, special delivery to get Babar out.

Ben Sears replaces Sodhi

PAK 116/2 (14 Overs)

William O’Rourke returns to the attack

PAK 109/2 (13 Overs)

Ish Sodhi continues

PAK 98/2 (12 Overs)

Bracewell returns

PAK 90/2 (11 Overs)

Ish Sodhi continues

PAK 86/2 (10 Overs)

Ben Sears returns to the attack

PAK 81/2 (9 Overs)

8.5: Usman prances down the track to manufacture his own length and spoons it to Michael Bracewell at extra cover.

Ish Sodhi continues

PAK 75/1 (8 Overs)

Michael Bracewell continues

PAK 60/1 (7 Overs)

Ish Sodhi comes into the attack

PAK 51/1 (6 Overs)

Michael Bracewell comes on to bowl

PAK 46/1 (5 Overs)

William O’Rourke returns

PAK 38/1 (4 Overs)

Ben Sears replaces William O’Rourke

PAK 23/1 (3 Overs)

Zak Foulkes continues

PAK 10/1 (2 Overs)

1.3: Round the wicket, fuller on off, Saim looks to go up and over mid-off, but he can only manage to mistime to wide mid-off where Michael Bracewell takes a brilliant diving catch.

William O’Rourke to bowl the second over

PAK 8/0 (1 Over)

Babar Azam and Saim Ayub come out to bat for Pakistan. Zak Foulkes to bowl the first over for New Zealand.

PAKISTAN vs NEW ZEALAND (1st INNINGS)

LAHORE: New Zealand have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Pakistan in the fifth T20I of the five-match series here at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

PLAYING XIs

New Zealand

Michael Bracewell (c), Tom Blundell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Zak Foulkes, Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi.

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Pakistan

Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir