Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

TWM Latham
TWM Latham
64(49) 7x4 - 2x6
Control %71%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 16 runs
  • 1x4 - 0x6
15 5 1 4 13 9 6 11
Iftikhar Ahmed
Iftikhar Ahmed
60(24) 3x4 - 6x6
Control %79%
  • Productive Shot
  • slog shot
  • 22 runs
  • 1x4 - 3x6
5 6 0 1 9 1 7 31

Best performances - Bowlers

JDS Neesham
JDS Neesham
O4
M0
R38
W3
Eco9.50
RHB
OFFLEG
1W1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
R Ravindra
R Ravindra
O3
M0
R28
W2
Eco9.33
RHB
OFFLEG
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W1W

Scorer: Sudeep Poojar | Commentator: @momin_cric

END OF OVER:
20 | 10 Runs 2 Wkts | PAK: 159/10 (5 runs required, RR: 7.95)

  • Naseem Shah0 (3b)
  • James Neesham4-0-38-3
  • Matt Henry4-0-27-1

That's it from ESPNcricinfo's coverage of the third T20I. We hope you enjoyed our watch. Don't forget to join us again on Thursday when these two sides will be back in action at Rawalpindi. Until then, it's goodbye and goodnight from Momin and the rest of the crew.

Tom Latham: It was a great game of cricket. We were pleased to get a competitive total on the board and it's satisfying to get across the line and keep the series alive. I think the whole squad will take a lot of confidence from this match moving forward. What set up the win for us was the three early wickets in the powerplay that I thought pegged them back slightly. Sodhi and Ravindra were superb for us through the middle phases. It was very nice to contribute at the top of the order [on his 64 off 49] and make full use of the powerplay. We pride ourselves on our fielding and keep the bar high everytime we set foot into the middle.

Tom Latham has been awarded the Player of the Match award

Babar Azam: I think we didn't bat well enough tonight. We kept losing wicket at crucial stages because of which the pressure kept building throughout the run-chase. We have kept our batting order flexible [on Iftikhar's demotion tonight]. Iftikhar delivered tonight and Faheem also chipped in with crucial runs. Our bowlers have been superb throughout this series, so far, and they have executed most of the plans.

Presentations coming up, stick around

Tautoru: "Finally NZ wins v Pakistan. That's rare because Pakistan are so good v NZ. Great game, hard fought by both. "

Bob: "Kiwi fan here. Stunning innings from Iftikhar, should be player of the match. Can't fathom why he wasn't batting higher. Very relieved it didn't go to a super over"

Kalpesh : "These are kind of the games till you don't know the result till the last ball country does not matter."

12.55pm: Woof, what an enthralling finish we have had to the match with New Zealand squeezing past Pakistan by a bare margin. Much like their opposition, Pakistan commenced their innings sluggishly. Both Babar and Rizwan were dismissed inside the powerplay and Fakhar and Saim couldn't hang around for long either. Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals throughout the middle overs and looked down for the count at 92/7 after 15 overs. Iftikhar and Faheem then stringed together a brilliant 61-run partnership as they took down the likes of Milne and Neesham to keep them in the game. Iftikhar struck a blistering 24-ball 60 but his herculean effort couldn't carry Pakistan across the line as they fell agonizingly short by 4 runs. Neesham did well to cover up for the injured Lister and to keep Iftikhar at bay in the last over while the spin-bowling duo of Ravindra and Sodhi as well as Milne also chipped in with crucial wickets.

Amir Ali: "Shaheen giving those 5 extra runs and Naseem Shah swinging for 3 balls for nothing where all was just required to tak single and give strike to Iftikhar proved costly, but a well fought match nonetheless."

Anwar: "Brilliant game, but New Zealand the worthy winners. Pakistan didn't deserve to win after leaving their best batsman Iftikhar at the bottom"

Rashid : "Well played iftikhar. Nz were strong to win this until iffy masterclass inning. Congrats to kiwis they put up good show tonight "

19.6
W
Neesham to Haris Rauf, OUT, Can't clear the boundary and he's out! Length ball in the channel, Rauf shuffles across and looks to heave it over the on-side, ends up splicing it and it's safely gobbled up at cow corner. Neesham keeps his cool and New Zealand have won by four runs.

Haris Rauf c Bowes b Neesham 0 (4m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

5 needed off the last ball

19.5
0
Neesham to Haris Rauf, no run, Shortish delivery, just outside off, Rauf swings off his feet but the ball sneaks through to the keeper

Haris Rauf is the last man in

19.4
W
Neesham to Iftikhar Ahmed, OUT, Neesham strikes back! What a breakthrough this is for New Zealand. Another full delivery from Neesham, was right in the arc for Iftikhar to loft it over but the blade twirls in his hand as he holes out to long-on. A swashbuckling effort from his comes to a close with Pakistan still requiring 5 off 2.

Iftikhar Ahmed c Mitchell b Neesham 60 (43m 24b 3x4 6x6) SR: 250.00

19.3
4
Neesham to Iftikhar Ahmed, FOUR, Crashed for four! Neesham serves up a low full-toss just outside off, Iftikhar gets low to get underneath it and absolutely bludgeons it to the left of long-off.
19.2
0
Neesham to Iftikhar Ahmed, no run, Drags it further outside off, Iftikhar throws his bat at it and fails to connect
19.1
6
Neesham to Iftikhar Ahmed, SIX, Smoked for six more! Woof, that's a shot and a half. Walks across and just helps it over the deep square leg boundary. The connection on that was just sublime

So, it's down to Iftikhar. Neesham has been handed the ball with Lister off the field. 15 needed off 6. Neesham going round the wicket.

New Zealand in Pakistan 2023 News

Pakistan 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st6Mohammad RizwanBabar Azam
2nd11Mohammad RizwanFakhar Zaman
3rd22Fakhar ZamanSaim Ayub
4th6Fakhar ZamanShadab Khan
5th10Imad WasimShadab Khan
6th9Shadab KhanShaheen Shah Afridi
7th24Iftikhar AhmedShadab Khan
8th61Iftikhar AhmedFaheem Ashraf
9th10Iftikhar AhmedNaseem Shah
10th0Naseem ShahHaris Rauf