New Zealand managed a 101-run win at Mount Maunganui over Pakistan to go 1-0 up in the series despite resistance from Fawad Alam.
SCOREKEEPER
The hosts earned 60 points at the ICC World Trials Championship positions to keep his dream of reaching the final of the tournament alive. If they win the ongoing Test series against Pakistan, they will go to the top of the MRF Tires ICC Test Equipment Classification.
After failing to dominate the first two sessions, New Zealand regrouped at tea break to turn the game around in the final session. Fawad and Mohammad Rizwan had completed their personal milestones at the start of the third session with Rizwan taking his fourth consecutive test fifty, while Fawad completed his second test hundred, 11 years after having scored a century on his debut in 2009.
The duo continued cautiously for a while, but Kyle Jamieson, who was celebrating his 26th birthday, finally made a breakthrough, breaking the position of the century. He caught Rizwan up front for a 60 of 191 balls, forcing the referee to reverse his decision and taking a successful lbw review.
Fawad and Rizwan’s strong standing of 165 races was a testament to their glorious struggle, which faltered shortly after the partnership was broken.
Without his teammate holding the other end, Fawad perished about three overs later to Neil Wagner when he shot a short ball to the goalkeeper while attempting to shoot for the thin leg. At number 8, Yasir Shah barely lasted two overs before becoming Jamieson’s second victim.
Faheem Ashraf did his best to hold on, but the visitors slipped even further and lost it just before the final break. He was caught in the crease of a short ball, uncomfortably beating Wagner by 19.
The last Pakistani wicket pair of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi took it upon themselves to play the remaining overs and almost made it through. But the persistence of the New Zealand bowlers finally paid off when Mitchell Santner surprised Naseem with his own bowling alley when Pakistan was eliminated by 271.
Earlier in the day, the visitors started the final day with 71/3, losing by 302, but in just the second more they lost to Azhar Ali by 38 when he pushed Trent Boult, closing in on BJ Watling.
Rizwan joined Fawad on the fold and the pair survived a couple of scares at first to get the tourists going well. Before lunch they mentioned their 50-race partnership, as Pakistan headed into halftime on 137/4.
The pair got off to a quick start in the afternoon session, with Fawad passing the fifty mark in the first over and then hitting consecutive limits off Santner in the next over.
The second session was even tougher for New Zealand as they looked to create opportunities, but the tough pair from Pakistan kept them away. Both Fawad and Rizwan did not take unnecessary risks and showed great determination and determination to challenge the host’s bowlers. They added 78 runs after lunch, taking their fifth spot association to 140 *.
The closest New Zealand came to creating an opportunity was when Jamieson had Rizwan clear one on the slip cord. However, replays showed it to be a hitting ball. With 158 more to win in the last session, Pakistan would have imagined their chances of saving the match, but the hosts had other plans.
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