In the third T20I held in Dunedin, New Zealand secured the series victory by defeating Pakistan by a margin of 45 runs. Opting to field first after winning the toss, Pakistan faced a challenging target of 225 runs, set by the New Zealand team, who finished their innings at 225/7 in 20 overs. Despite a spirited effort by Pakistan’s bowlers, with K bowlers taking three wickets and Zaman Khan managing to dismiss them, the home team posted a formidable total.
Finn Allen, the New Zealand opener, emerged as the star performer, smashing an impressive 137 runs off just 62 balls, setting a record with 16 sixes and 5 fours. The other contributors to the scorecard included Devon Conway (7), Tim Siefert (31), Daryl Mitchell (8), Glenn Phillips (19), Mark Chapman (1), and Mitchell Santner (4). Matt Henry added 1 run, while Ash Sodhi remained unbeaten with 3 runs.
In response, Pakistan faced challenges in their batting lineup, with Saeem Ayub (10), Mohammad Rizwan (24), and Babar Azam (58) making significant contributions. Fakhar Zaman (19), Azam Khan (10), Iftikhar Ahmed (1), and Mohammad Nawaz (28) were among the players who couldn’t sustain their innings. Captain Shaheen Afridi (16) and Mohammad Wasim (1) also tried to contribute, but the team fell short of the target.
New Zealand’s bowling attack, led by Tim Southee (2 wickets) and supported by Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner, and Ash Sodhi (each taking one wicket), proved effective. However, Matt Henry emerged as the most expensive bowler, conceding 51 runs.
Despite Pakistan’s efforts, New Zealand’s strong batting performance and effective bowling secured their victory, clinching the T20 series.
