New Zealand post challenging total in 2nd T-20 against Pakistan
NZ 185/7 20 overs
New Zealand has posted a challenging total in the second T20 against Pakistan being played at the Seddon park in Hamilton. Pakistan’s captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 won the toss and opted to field first in overcast conditions in the day and night encounter.
The match started in a comical manner as Abdul Razzaq dropped the first ball of the match on his feet, the ball was declared dead ball. The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 opening batsman Jessie Ryder was laughing at Razzaq’s error yet the next ball was all doom and gloom for
the burly left hander as he gloved a ball down the leg side to an elated wicket-keeper Umar Akmal.
From there the hosts rebuilt through first match hero Martin Guptill and all-rounder James Franklin.
The two tore the Pakistani bowlers apart, who bowled some ordinary deliveries after their fine start. Gradually the run rate mounted as the Pakistanis caved in against the onslaught.
Guptill was the more aggressive of the two and struck three big sixes before skiing a catch off Saeed Ajmal. Skipper Afridi held a brilliant catch running under the airborne ball to dislodge Guptill for 44 scored off 28 balls, the right hander also struck
3 fours in his innings.
Franklin followed in the next over off the bowling of Afridi as he edged the ball behind to Akmal. Franklin scored 40 runs off 43 balls.
Even the departure of the two set batsmen did little to hamper the run rate as the Black Caps continued their brutal assault on the erring Pakistani bowlers.
Scott Styris climbed into the bowlers smashing three sixes in his 14 ball knock of 36 runs; he was severe on Shoaib Akhtar taking him for some easy runs but was eventually sent packing by the same bowler with Ahmed Shehzad taking the catch.
The momentum was all with the tourists and they made the most of it in the last few overs, the most potent bowler at the death in this format of the game, Umar Gul, was taken for 24 runs in one over by the Kiwi wicket-keeper, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Peter-McGlashan-c2178.
The carnage continued in the last two overs as well, before Saeed Ajmal tightened the leash in the last over of the innings. The hosts nevertheless, eased their way to a staggering score of 185/7 in the allotted 20 overs.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 has to win the match to stay in the three match series; they were defeated in the first match by 5 wickets.
Tags: