Pakistan register clean sweep
Pakistan defeated New Zealand by seven runs to register their second win. In the first Twenty20 match on Thursday, Pakistan had won by 49 runs.
Dubai: Pakistan recorded a clean sweep of the two Twenty20 matches against New Zealand at the Dubai Sports City cricket stadium to lift the Cool & Cool Cup.
Pakistan defeated New Zealand by seven runs to register their second win. In the first Twenty20 match on Thursday, Pakistan had won by 49 runs.
Umar Akmal top scored for Pakistan with an unbeaten 56 runs to ensure a challenging total of 153 for 5.
New Zealand chased the total brilliantly through Brendon McCullum’s elegant 47 off 41 balls with three fours and a six. Scott Stryis too hit a fighting 43 runs off 33 balls with two four and two sixes, but their effort went in vain.
New Zealand needed 18 runs from the last over but Umar Gul bowled a brilliant over to help Pakistan register an exciting victory.
Winning the toss, Pakistan got off to a quick start. The openers Imran Nazir and Kamran Akmal put on 40 runs in 4.3 overs. Nazir was the first to go, bowled by Ian Butler for 19.
Umar Akmal joined his brother Kamran.
Butler struck again trapping Kamran leg before for 26. Kamran was batting beautifully hitting four boundaries and one six when Butler took his wicket.
In walked skipper Shahid Afridi to a thunderous applause from the Friday crowd. Pakistan scored 73 for 2 in the first 10 overs.
Afridi and Akmal put on 45 runs in 5.2 overs for the third wicket before Afridi was caught by Shane Bond off Nathan McCullum for 22 runs. Going for a slog shot, Afridi could not connect it properly and the ball landed in Bond’s hand at deep mid wicket.
Butler took his third wicket when next man Shoaib Malik hit him to long off and Scott Styris took a brilliant running catch racing from deep extra cover. Abdul Razzaq lasted only one ball before edging James Franklin to wicketkeeper for a duck.
Akmal went on to hit his first Twenty20 half century.
Chasing a run rate of 7.65 runs per over, New Zealand openers Brendon McCullum and Bradley Watling put on 20 runs in 3.3 overs. Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir produced a brilliant delivery pitching on the middle stump and moving away and Watling on 7, going forward edged it to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, who flew like a bird and plucked a one handed catch.
Martin Guptill and McCullum took the score to 46 when Umar Gul forced Guptill to play on to his wicket for 17. By the tenth over New Zealand were 62 for 2, which were 11 runs behind Pakistan at the same stage.
Next man Ross Taylor lasted only 10 balls before being trapped leg before by Afridi for 13. McCullum restraining his shots kept the scoreboard moving.
New Zealand needed 51 runs in the last five overs with seven wickets in hand. McCullum and Scott Styris put on 66 runs for the fourth wicket off 7.2 overs. When New Zealand needed 22 runs to win McCullum fell caught by Shoaib Malik at long on off Saeed Ajmal for 47. New Zealand needed 18 runs off the last over.
Earlier, the injury hit New Zealand team included James Franklin, who was suffering from back pain in the first Twenty20 match. He replaced Aaron Redmond, who suffered a groin injury during the first match.
Pakistan fielded the same team that played in the first match.
