Pakistan on Saturday secured thrilling victory against New Zealand by nine runs in the fifth and final match of five-game T20I series at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
The series ended in a 2-2 draw, with Men in Green and Black Caps winning two matches apiece. Shaheen Afridi was the star player for Team Green, as he took four crucial wickets for 30 runs in his fiery spell.
New Zealand’s chase of Pakistan’s 179-run target began poorly, with Shaheen Afridi outclassed Tom Blundell in the first over. Tim Seifert’s aggressive batting kept visitors in the game.
Usama Mir, later struck as he got two wickets and solid bowling from Pakistan’s bowlers limited New Zealand’s progress. Josh Clarkson did the efforts but those were not enough, and New Zealand fell short of the target.
PAKvNZ Score
Earlier in the game, Men in Green earlier posted competitive total of 178/5, with skipper Babar Azam leading the charge with brilliant 69 off 44 balls. Despite a shaky start, the Asian sides recovered well, with Usman Khan and Babar Azam stabilizing the innings.
Power hitter Fakhar Zaman equally contributed, along with a quick cameo from Shadab Khan and two helped Greeh Shirts to reach a challenging total.
