New Zealand vs. Pakistan 5th T20I: On Wednesday, March 26, at the Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand beat Pakistan by 8 wickets, thanks in large part to the contributions of Tim Seifert and James Neesham.
Pakistan’s lone victory came in the third game in Auckland, and New Zealand’s 4-1 advantage secured the five-match series. Seifert hit the game-winning six off Shadab Khan, and the Blackcaps needed only 10 overs to reach the 129-run mark in the last game.
On the strength of six fours and ten sixes, Seifert continued to be reliable and went on to play an unforgettable undefeated innings of 97 runs in only 38 balls. Seifert and Finn Allen stitched a fantastic 93-run opening start while chasing the objective. Sufiyam Muqeem dismissed Allen for 27 runs in 12 balls.
Before Seifert and Daryl Mitchell led the Blackcaps to the next level, Muqeem also defeated Mark Chapman.
Pakistan put up yet another lackluster performance after being called in to bat first, managing only 128/9 in their 20 overs. With a 51-run knock in only 39 balls, captain Salman Agha led the visitors in runs scored, while Shadab contributed 28 extra.
With the ball in hand, James Neesham had an amazing day, taking five wickets with impact and conceding only 22 runs in his four overs. Ben Sears and Ish Sodhi both found a scalp, while Jacob Duffy took two wickets.
“In franchise cricket, you don’t take a lot of wickets. We were assisted by the opening bowlers. Playing for New Zealand is always an honor. Play for this side at all times. Always eager for a chance. After winning Player of the Match, Neesham said, “I’m more than happy to see the guys at the top smack it around.”
Conversely, Seifert received Player of the Series honors. In only five innings, he scored 249 runs.
New Zealand, the hosts, outperformed Pakistan, who were missing some of its best players, including Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. They won the first two games of the series to get things started. They put up even more impressive displays in the last two games after faltering in the third.
