Afridi blitz in vain as New Zealand spank Pakistan

WELLINGTON: Grant Elliot’s all-round performance eclipsed Shahid Afridi’s 29-ball blitz to secure New Zealand a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first One-day International in Wellington on Saturday.
Elliot took three wickets for 26 runs to help the hosts bowl out Pakistan for 210 in 45.3 overs at the Westpac Stadium.
He then returned to hit an unbeaten 64, adding 112-runs with Ross Taylor (59 not out) as New Zealand romped home with 10.3 overs to spare.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum credited his side’s tight fielding with setting the platform for victory.
“It was probably the best we’ve seen all summer and that creates so much intensity and allows the seamers to be able to really get into the game,” he said.
“Obviously the run chase was very well planned by Grant and Ross.”
Earlier, Afridi blasted a 29-ball 67 and captain Misbah-ul-Haq stroked a patient 58 to help Pakistan overcome a terrible start and post 210.
Put in to bat, Pakistan lost their opener Mohammad Hafeez for a duck to the fifth delivery of the day and kept losing wickets to slump to 127 for six in the 36th over.
Kiwi pacemen Kyle Mills (2-29) and Trent Boult (2-25) stifled the visitors and struck at regular intervals to put Pakistan on the mat before Afridi went on the attack.
Dropped on 14 by rival captain Brendon McCullum, the flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder added 71 runs with Misbah in 6.2 overs to lend some respectability to the total.
Afridi blasted nine boundaries in his blistering knock to go with three sixes, the third bringing up his fifty before Adam Milne dismissed him in the 44th over.
Misbah, who was content playing second fiddle to Afridi, perished in the 42nd over trying to accelerate.
The Kiwis were off to a flying start with the first three overs yielding 31 runs before McCullum fell.
Tom Latham (23) could not convert the start he got either but Martin Guptill contributed 39 runs before the unseparated Elliot-Taylor partnership took the game away from Pakistan.
Elliot hit eight boundaries in his 68-ball knock, the last sealing the team’s victory.
Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq believed they were about 70 runs short of a competitive total.
“In the first 10 overs we were nowhere, we had no momentum,” he said.
“They bowled really well and we just kept on losing wickets. I think 280-290 could have been a competitive total on this pitch.”
The comfortable victory for New Zealand underscored Pakistan’s lack of preparation two weeks away from the start of the World Cup.
It was their first ODI since they were beaten 3-2 in a home series against New Zealand before Christmas, and the lack of match play was evident from the moment they lost the toss and were put in to bat.
The batsmen lacked timing and later the bowlers struggled with direction against a New Zealand side which had just completed a 4-2 series win over Sri Lanka.
Napier hosts the second and final ODI on Tuesday.
Score Board
New Zealand won toss
Pakistan
M Hafeez b Mills 0
A Shehzad c Ronchi b Boult 15
Younis lbw b Mills 9
*Misbah c Latham b Elliott 58
H Sohail c Guptill b Anderson 23
U Akmal b Elliott 13
†Sarfraz c Latham b Anderson 5
S Afridi c Guptill b Milne 67
B Bhatti c Guptill b Boult 0
E Adil c B McCullum b Elliott 6
M Irfan not out 1
Extras (lb 3, w 9, nb 1) 13
Total (all out; 45.3 overs) 210
Fall: 1-0, 2-29, 3-32, 4-81, 5-113, 6-127, 7-198, 8-203, 9-203, 10-210
Bowling: Mills 10-2-29-2 (1nb, 1w); Boult 9-0-25-2 (2w); Milne 10-0-43-1 (3w); N McCullum 6-0-37-0; Anderson 6-0-47-2 (2w); Elliott 4.3-0-26-3 (1w)
New Zealand
M J Guptill c B Bhatti b M Irfan 39
*B B McCullum c A Shehzad b B Bhatti 17
T W M Latham c Sarfraz b S Afridi 23
L R P L Taylor not out 59
G D Elliott not out 64
Extras (lb 3, w 8) 11
Total (3 wickets; 39.3 overs) 213
Did not bat: C J Anderson, †L Ronchi, N L McCullum, K D Mills, A F Milne, T A Boult
Fall: 1-31, 2-75, 3-101
Bowling: M Irfan 10-2-60-1 (5w); B Bhatti 8-0-51-1 (1w); E Adil 7.3-0-44-0; S Afridi 10-0-39-1 (2w); H Sohail 4-0-16-0
Result: New Zealand won by 7 wickets
Series: New Zealand lead the 2-match series by 1-0
Man of the Match: G D Elliott (New Zealand)
Umpires: C B Gaffaney and M A Gough (England). TV umpire: R J Tucker (Australia). Match referee: J Srinath (India)