Pakistan beat New Zealand by 49 runs

Dubai: Pakistan lived up to their reputation as the World Champions by recording a 49-runs victory over New Zealand in the first Twenty20 Cool & Cool Cup match at the Dubai Sports City cricket stadium.

Pakistan posted 161 for 8 after being put into bat by New Zealand. Opener Imran Nazir cracked a brilliant 58 off 38 balls with five boundaries and four sixers to provide Pakistan an electrifying start. New Zealand were bowed out for 112 runs in 18.3 overs.

Before the start of play, New Zealand was reduced to just eleven players after their skipper Daniel Vettori too joined the injury list. Kyle Mills and James Franklin are already injured and Jacob Oram had left for New Zealand for the birth of his first baby. Brendon McCullum captained the team. So pathetic was New Zealand’s condition that they had to go into the match with two UAE players Naeemudin and Vikrant Shetty as substitutes.
Despite these setbacks, New Zealand bowled brilliantly. The first to fall was Kamran Akmal off Tim Southee. Kamran went for the big shot hoping to clear mid on but Shane Bond racing in took the catch.

Next man, Umar Akmal did not last long. Scott Styris bowled a slower one and Akmal tried to slog-sweep over mid-wicket but mistimed and wicketkeeper Bradley John Watling who made his debut in Twenty20 form of the game.

After Nazir fell, hitting Bond into the hands of Redmond at third man, Shahid Afridi took the Pakistan score past the 100 run mark with a quick 24.
Redmond had Shoaib Malik caught and bowled for 6. Abdul Razzaq kept the run rate going with an unbeaten 26.

Southee was the most successful bowler with three wickets for 28 while Bond and Redmond took two wickets each. Chasing a run rate of 8.05 per over, New Zealand lost an early wicket when Sohail Tanvir had Martin Guptill edge to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal for 8. Ross Taylor joined his captain Brendon McCullum.

At the score on 33, Mohammad Aamer had McCullum caught by Fawad Alam at backward point for 19. Ross Taylor too followed quickly, edging Aamer into the wicketkeeper Akmal’s gloves for 5.

Abdul Razzaq struck with the second ball of his first over. Scott Styris went for a pull and landed up easily caught by Umar Gul at deep square leg. By the end of the tenth over, New Zealand needed 95 runs from the next sixty balls.

Razzaq struck again to dismiss Neil Broom for 14. Pakistan introduced double spin attack with Saeed Ajmal and Afridi bowling a good length and New Zealand struggled for runs. Pakistan fielded brilliantly and mounted the pressure to force the New Zealand batsmen to surrender without a fight.