- Socrecard available here
Hamilton, 20 December 2020: An unbroken 129-run stand for the second-wicket between Tim Seifert and captain Kane Williamson gave New Zealand a resounding nine-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second T20I played at the Seddon Park Hamilton on Sunday.
Set a 164-run target, the hosts completed the chase in 19.2 overs. The victory gave New Zealand an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series following their five-wicket win in the first match of the series played at the Eden Park, Auckland. The third and final T20I will be played at the McLean Park Napier on Tuesday.
Wicketkeeper Seifert who opened the innings scored an unbeaten 84 off 63 balls (eight fours, three sixes) while Williamson contributed 57 off 42 balls (eight fours, one six). The partnership between Seifert and Williamson was accumulated off 95 balls.
The two joined hands at the fall of Martin Guptil’s wicket who was dismissed by Faheem Ashraf for 21 off 11 balls (one four, two sixes) in the fourth over of the New Zealand innings.
Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan started poorly as Tim Southee accounted for Haider Ali (8) and Abdullah Shafique (0) in the same over, the second of the innings, to leave the tourists 16 for two.
Mohammad Hafeez held the Pakistan innings together with a scintillating unbeaten innings of 99 not out off 57 balls. Hafeez struck 10 fours and five sixes; he dispatched the last ball of the innings for a six to finish one short of a maiden T20I century.
Hafeez added 63 runs for the fifth-wicket with Khushdil Shah (14). Wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan contributed 22 runs while Imad Wasim contributed an unbeaten 10 off five balls.
Tim Southee was the most successful New Zealand bowlers; the right-armer claimed four wickets for 21 runs in his four overs.
Scores in brief
Pakistan 163 for 6, 20 overs (Mohammad Hafeez 99*; Tim Southee 4-21)
New Zealand 164 for 1, 19.2 overs (Tim Seifert 84 not out, Kane Williamson 57 not out; Faheem Ashraf 1-19)
Result – New Zealand won by nine wickets
Player of the match – Tim Southee
Third T20I –Napier 22 December
