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Sport Nation
Blackcaps crush Pakistan in T20 series opener
AP • March 16th, 2025 5:45 pm
Photo: John Davidson/Photosport
A new era for Pakistan white-ball cricket has got off to a rough start with a nine-wicket loss to New Zealand in the first of five Twenty20 internationals.
First-time captain Salman Ali Agha led a new look team into the match at Hagley Oval, which followed Pakistan's poor performance at home in the 50-overs Champions Trophy and began their buildup to the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The Pakistan batting crumbled against the Kiwi pace attack on Sunday and the tourists were all out for 91 in 18.4 overs, their fifth-lowest total in T20 internationals.
New Zealand easily ran down that total, reaching 92/1 from 10.1 overs with Tim Seifert making 44 from 29 balls and Finn Allen 29 from 17. Tim Robinson was 18 not out and took two runs from the first ball of the 11th over to complete the win.
"It was obviously difficult and we weren't up to the mark," Ali Agha said.
"They bowled really well. They were bowling in the right areas and there was swing and seam for them as well.
"But out batting wasn't up to the mark. We have one day before the next game and we will try to gather ourselves and be better in the next game."
Pakistan batters suffer horror start against Blackcaps in 1st T20 | Sport Nation Cricket
Pakistan were in trouble from the start with the new opening pair of Mohammad Haris and Hasan Nawaz, stepping in for the veterans Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, both dismissed without scoring in the first eight balls of the match.
A fully fit Kyle Jamieson took 3-8 and Jacob Duffy 4-14 as Pakistan stumbled to 14/4 at the end of the six-over powerplay.
"We had some pretty favourable conditions which I'm sure me and (Duffy) would take most places around the country," said Jamieson who bowled 18 dot balls.
"It was nice to have those and just try to cash in as much as we could."
Salman and Khushdil Shah gave the Pakistan innings some impetus when they took 14 runs from the 10th over bowled by Ish Sodhi, and 15 from the 11th bowled by fellow spinner Michael Bracewell, to lift Pakistan from 28/4 after nine overs to 57/5 after 11.
But Duffy returned to dismiss Khushdil for 32 and the rest followed quickly with only three batters reaching double figures.
Kyle Jamieson is loving being healthy again and back in the Blackcaps | Sport Nation Cricket
Seifert put New Zealand on course to a comfortable win, taking 12 runs from the third over and 14 runs off the fifth as the Black Caps reached 43/1 in the power play.
New Zealand were 90/1 after 10 overs, needing only two runs to win, when the umpires unaccountably called for drinks.
The second match is at Dunedin's University Oval on Tuesday.
Tune into Sport Nation for live ball-by-ball commentary of the Blackcaps and White Ferns T20 double-headers - download the Sport Nation app on the App Store and Google Play today.
