Pakistan’s morale for the WC boasted as they beat New Zealand in the final of tri-series at Christchurch

After New Zealand had been asked to bat, their skipper Kane Williamson tracked down form with a 33-ball half-century while a bold attack from Haider Ali and Mohammad Nawaz sucker punched New Zealand and gave Pakistan the tri-series title in Christchurch.

Pakistan had won the toss and elected to field first. After New Zealand had been asked to bat, their skipper Kane Williamson tracked down form with a 33-ball half-century. 

Before Friday, Williamson had last scored a T20 fifty in April, when he opened the batting for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. 

His niggly elbow has also disrupted his rhythm in the recent past. After being rested for the previous match against Bangladesh, Williamson showed signs of his best during an innings of 59 from 38 balls.

He ran from the starting position with four fours in his first five balls and continued to show attacking intent against spin. Williamson charged at Nawaz and pumped him into the sightscreen for six, and even attempted a reverse sweep off Shadab Khan. 

He struck up a 50-run partnership with Glenn Phillips off 37 balls after New Zealand had lost Finn Allen and Devon Conway in the powerplay.

Rauf, who replaced Mohammad Hasnain, got to work in the powerplay by digging one into the pitch and having Conway hacking on for 14 off 17 deliveries. 

He then fragmented the toe of Phillips’ bat by cranking his pace up to 143kph. Rauf not only hustled batters for pace at the death but also dared them to manufacture it for themselves by bowling cutters into the pitch. 

His last two overs cost Pakistan only seven runs. At the other end, Naseem Shah backed Rauf up with his slower leg cutter and on-pace yorkers. New Zealand managed only 33 for 4 in their last five overs, a passage of play that eventually proved decisive.

After Tim Southee played his 100th T20I and Trent Boult conceded a combined 19 runs in the first two overs, Williamson threw the new ball to Bracewell. 

The offspinner drew a top edge from Babar Azam and had him skying a catch to Williamson at midwicket. Bracewell then won his match-up against the left-hander Shan Masood, leaving Pakistan at 64 for 2 in the 11th over.

Pakistan was 74 for 3 in the 12th over when Nawaz and Haider got together. Michael Bracewell had finished another misery spell, picking up 2 for 14 in his four overs. 

Haider, however, sent off the first ball he faced from Ish Sodhi for six and then combined with Nawaz to take 25 runs off Sodhi in the 15th over.

Nawaz fulfilled his role as the spin-hitter, the same one that Shadab had played for Pakistan in the early exchanges of the competition. 

After smoking Sodhi for back-to-back sixes, Nawaz also smacked the inexperienced seamer Blair Tickner into the grass banks to rush Pakistan home.

A bold attack from Haider Ali and Mohammad Nawaz sucker punched New Zealand and gave Pakistan the tri-series title in Christchurch.

“The way our team played deserves all the credit. The bowlers were brilliant at the death. The way the middle order played was outstanding. Haider and Nawaz are outstanding, so we need to step up and perform. (On the wicket slowing down) It didn’t make me change my thoughts about the toss. The wicket played the same too. Going to Australia, we have good confidence,”

says Babar Azam.

“Great game, Pakistan is a strong side, credit to them for turning it around. Frustrated with the loss. You always want 20 more, but it was competitive. The wicket was on the lower side. They came in and changed the momentum well. There’s no blame, everyone went with the plan. Execution went wrong, and the margins were small. With batters coming in and all improving the signs are positive ahead of the World Cup,”

says Kane Williamson.