Pakistan in New Zealand ODI series 5-0
In the first series of the year New Zealand playing against Pakistan in their own backyard. New Zealand started the series with a 61-run win in first ODI where kiwi captain Kane Williamson (115) his 10th ODI ton help his team to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Pakistan found it difficult to face new ball in New Zealand conditions.
In 3rd ODI due to Trent Boult’s 5 for 17 Pakistan succumbed to their join third lowest total 74 in third ODI in Dunedin. In final ODI New Zealand beat Pakistan by 15 runs and completed their second whitewash in a five-match series. Pakistan top-seven batsman struggled for runs in this series.
Their collective average of 17.10 is actually the second worst in any bilateral series with a minimum of 20 innings.
Martin Guptill was the top run-getter in the series. He scored 310 runs with one century and one-half century with an average of 77.5.
Where Trent Boult was the top wicket-taker He took 9 wickets in 4 matches with his third- best ODI spell (5/17) with an average of 19.88.
England tour of New Zealand (1-0)
New Zealand were playing their first-day night test match in New Zealand against England at Eden Park, Auckland. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to field first. New Zealand’s best test bowler Trent Boult and Tim Southee prove captain’s decision right as England bundled out for just 58 their sixth lowest test total.
Boult registered his career best figure 6 for 32. Five players were dismissed for a duck in England innings. Craig Overton and James Anderson added 31 runs for the tenth wicket while the other nine aggregated 27.
Then captain Kane Williamson’s unbeaten 91 stretched New Zealand’s lead to 117 at the end of day 1. Due to bleak weather in Auckland on the second and third day, only 26 overs were possible and New Zealand declared their inning on 427/8 with a lead of 369.
At the end of the fourth day, England trail by 237 runs in the second inning with seven wickets in hand.
Stokes and Chris Woakes survived close to the entirely of the second session of day 5 to provide England with an opportunity for an incredible draw. But England lost their seventh- wicket- Ben Stokes- to the last ball of the penultimate session and England were all out for 320. As a consequence, New Zealand won the match by an inning & 49 runs.
Amazing, right?
In the second match, New Zealand required 382 runs to win. They were 42 for no loss at the end of day 4 and required another 340 runs on the fifth day. But apart from Tom Latham 83 (207), the Kiwi middle- order failed against England bowling.
After Tom Latham got out for 83, Colin de Grandhomme (45) and Ish Sodhi added 57 runs for the seventh wicket in 25.5 overs but after Colin de Grandhomme got out, the Kiwis needed to bat for 30 more overs for a draw, then the only effective option.
Ish Sodhi (56*) and Neil Wagner (7) batted for 31.2 overs and added 37 runs for the eighth wicket.
This brilliant partnership drew the Test and New Zealand won the series against England after 18 years.
New Zealand tour of UAE
First Test
On the first day of the Test, apart from captain Kane Williamson (63), the Kiwi batsmen struggled against Pakistan bowlers and New Zealand all out for 153 in the first inning.
Babar Azam (62) and Asad Shafiq (43) helped Pakistan to take an important 74 run lead in the first inning.
Post that, Pakistan were in a good position and New Zealand batsmen needed to bat well to come back into the game.
In the second inning, Watling (59), Henry Nicholls (55), and Jeet Raval (46) batted with calmness and purpose.
But Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali took five wickets apiece as New Zealand collapsed. The point is, did anyone see this collapse?
They lost their last six wickets for 29 runs and New Zealand all out for 249, thus setting a target of 176 runs for Pakistan to win the match.
While chasing 176 at one point in time, Pakistan were 3 for 130. And this is when familiar inconsistencies returned.
Pakistan batsmen struggled against debutant Ajaz Patel (5 for 59) and were all out for 171. Thus, New Zealand won the match by 4 runs and took 1-0 lead in the series.
Second Test
In this match, Haris Sohail (147), Babar Azam (127*) and Azar Ali (81) helped Pakistan to set a big total in the first inning and declared on 5 for 418.
Then Yasir Shah registered a brilliant 8 for 41. In so doing, he’d achieve his best figures in a Test.
Unfortunately, New Zealand were all out for just 90.
What followed next, was the follow-on.
In the second inning, Ross Taylor (82), Henry Nicholls (77), and Tom Latham (50) scored runs but apart from these players all others failed against Yasir Shah and New Zealand were all out for 312.
Thus, Pakistan won the match by an inning & 16 runs and level the series 1-1. In this match, Yasir Shah registered 14 for 184 his best match figure.
Regardless of the loss, the doggedness of Taylor and Nicholls, against an in-form Pakistani line-up provided something to savor.
Third Test
In the decider, Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bat first.
New Zealand’s middle order failed again. Thankfully then, Williamson (89) and Watling (77*) registered a fighting 104 runs partnership.
This would set a stage for their bowlers to later challenge Pakistan, which was important especially the side was all out for 274.
Pakistan then lost 3 wickets for 85 runs.
But after that, Azar Ali (134) and Asad Shafiq (104) added 201 runs for the fourth wicket. Interestingly, the Kiwis bowled to a stupendous line and length which would enforce Pakistan to lose last 6 wickets for just 62 runs.
This added a 74-run lead to the Sarfraz’s team.
What would follow would be an exhibition of commanding batting.
Even as Pakistan took 4 quick wickets for 60, the incredible Kane Williamson (139) and Henry Nicholls (126*) went on to add 212 runs for the fifth wicket.
Colin de Grandhomme (26) and Tim Southee (15*), meanwhile, played a small but an important inning and New Zealand declared in their second inning at 353 for 7.
In so doing, they’d set Pakistan a target 280 in 79 overs.
At one point in time, Pakistan were 55 for 5. Post this, Babar Azam (51) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (28) controlled the innings by adding 43 runs.
Later, Pakistan were all out for 156 and New Zealand won by 123 runs and with it, also the series 2-1.
This incredible team performance with the exceptional Kane Williamson enabled the Kiwis to reach a peak they’d hitherto missed out on.
This was the first time in 49 years New Zealand beat Pakistan in a series away from home.
