RAWALPINDI: Mark Chapman’s (104 not out) century powered New Zealand to a six-wicket win in the fifth T20 international at the Pindi Stadium with five-match series ending up 2-2.
Chapman who lost his wicket only once in the series exhibited some exciting hitting prowess to snatch the game from Pakistan. New Zealand chased down 194 runs winning target with four balls and six wickets to spare. It was virtually a Chapman show who struck four sixes and 11 boundaries during his 57-ball unbeaten knock to take the game away from Pakistan.
Together with James Neesham (45 not out), he put on 121 runs in less than 10 overs for the undefeated fifth wicket to win the day for New Zealand. Neesham smashed two sixes and four boundaries during his 25-ball knock to help Chapman in the run chase.
When New Zealand started the chase, Shaheen Shah Afridi removed Tom Latham (0) and Will Young (4) in the very first over. Once Chad Bowes (19) lost his stumps to Imad Wasim (2-21), Pakistan looked in command before Mark Chapman took over, unleashing some sensational hitting to snatch the initiative from Pakistan bowlers who started looking raw and wayward.
The moment Shadab Khan dropped Chapman at 67, he never looked behind. Besides being poor in the field, Shadab also was wayward with the ball, conceding 29 runs in just two overs. Earlier, Mohammad Rizwan (98 not out) was unlucky to have missed his second T20 international hundred as Pakistan hit up 193 for 5 in 20 overs after being put into bat first. The total could have been over 200, had the tempo continued in the same vein as was seen during the first 17 overs. The quest for a century took over Rizwan’s nerves as he was seen playing with extra care in the last overs.
At the outset, two powerful sixes off Rachin Ravindra by Rizwan kickstarted Pakistan’s aggressive mode in the very second over. Some exciting drives by Babar Azam (21) kept up the momentum as Pakistan raced to 50 in the fifth over before Blair Tickner picked two wickets on successive deliveries to peg back Pakistan’s progress. Babar was the first to fall followed by Mohammad Haris (0) on the very next ball. When Saim Ayub (0) mistimed a push off Ish Sodhi off his own bowling, Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmad (36) were forced to regroup afresh.
Both nudged around, taking singles, and twos and hitting fours and sixes in between to increase the scoring tempo at a rapid pace.
While Rizwan was going great guns, Iftikhar presented Tickner (3-33) his third wicket after playing quick-fire innings, studded with three boundaries and two sixes. Iftikhar and Rizwan’s stand gave fresh impetus to Pakistan’s innings. Pakistan crossed 130 in the 15th over with Rizwan making his intentions very clear. Imad then joined Rizwan in making his stay at the wicket highly fruitful, fetching 68 runs for the fifth wicket in just 5.3 overs before Imad (31) sacrificed his wicket to help Rizwan reach his hundred. Rizwan even then was left standard at 98 as he missed a cut on the last delivery of the innings, managing just one bye.
Score: Pakistan 193 for 5 in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 98 not out, Iftikhar Ahmad 36, Imad Wasim 31, Babar Azam 19, Blair Tickter 3-33).
New Zealand 194 for 4 in 19.2 overs (Mark Chapman 104 not out, James Nesham 45 not out, Imad Wasim 2-21, Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-48)