AUCKLAND: Pakistan defeated New Zealand in the third T20 to stay alive in the five-match series.
Chasing 205, openers Mohammad Haris and Hasan Nawaz powered Pakistan to a record-fastest 200-plus run chase in T20Is. They reached the target in just 16 overs, losing only one wicket.
Haris and Hasan added 74 runs before Haris fell on the last ball of the powerplay. He smashed 41 off 20 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes.
Skipper Salman Ali Agha then joined Hasan. The duo put up an unbeaten 133-run stand to seal a dominant win.
Earlier, Shaheen Shah Afridi removed Finn Allen in the first over, thanks to a brilliant one-handed catch by Haris Rauf. Tim Seifert and Mark Chapman added 40 runs before Rauf dismissed Seifert for 19 off 9 balls.
Chapman counter-attacked, smashing 94 off 44 balls with 11 fours and four sixes. He built brief partnerships with Daryl Mitchell (17) and James Neesham (3) before Afridi dismissed him.
New Zealand stumbled to 141/5 in 12.5 overs. Abrar Ahmed struck twice in one over, removing Mitchell Hay (9) and Kyle Jamieson (0), reducing them to 164/7 in 15 overs.
Skipper Michael Bracewell fought back, scoring 31 off 18 balls with three fours and two sixes. Rauf dismissed him in the penultimate over.
Rauf led Pakistan’s bowling attack with 3/29. Shaheen, Abrar, and Abbas Afridi took two wickets each, while Shadab Khan claimed one.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Mohammad Haris (w), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha (c), Irfan Khan, Shadab Khan, Abdul Samad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Mitch Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (c), Ish Sodhi, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Ben Sears.
