Abu Dhabi, UAE - Wednesday 7 November 2018: New Zealand has won the first game of the Brighto Paints Pakistan vs New Zealand ODI 2018 Cup in Abu Dhabi. The tourists, who won by a comfortable 47 runs over their Pakistani hosts, cemented their superiority in the ODI form of the game, crucial ahead of next year’s Cricket World Cup.
New Zealand won the toss, and decided to kick off the day-night ODI by choosing to bat. However, Pakistan were determined that the New Zealander’s luck with the coin wouldn’t pass over to luck with the bat. Shaheen Shah Afridi started proceedings by swiftly dismissing George Worker, caught by Captain Sarfraz Ahmed for 1, and then Afridi struck Colin Munro plumb on the pads. Munro reviewed, but the third umpire sent the left-handed batsman back down to the changing rooms, leaving New Zealand on 36 for 2.
Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson strode out to the crease, looking to inject some calm into New Zealand’s afternoon, but Pakistan’s Shadhab Khan had other ideas, dismissing Williamson for 27 - caught by Mohammed Hafeez at midwicket. Ross Taylor and Tom Latham brought some steadier batting, bringing New Zealand from 78 up to 208, but then Shadhab enjoyed a moment of inspired bowling, dismissing Latham and Nicholls for two plumb LBWs, and then finished his magic with the dismissal of Colin de Grandhomme for a duck, taking three wickets off four neat balls.
Ross Taylor was dismissed in the next over for 80 after some superb spin from Imad Wasim, whose ball dodged under his bat and crashed into the stumps. Ish Sodhi and Tim Southee came out, and both tail-enders managed to bring the Kiwis’ score up, with Sodhi knocking three balls for six, but the right-handed batsman’s risky big hitting led to him being caught by Shadab off a ball from Afridi in the penultimate over. Southee was caught in the deep by Junaid Khan, bringing up the fourth wicket for Afridi in the innings.
Trent Boult finished off the Kiwi innings with some style by knocking the ball over third man, landing deep inside the boundary, bringing New Zealand’s total to 266. The last 60 balls of the first innings saw an exciting 67 runs and 6 wickets.
New Zealand’s bowlers looked to defend their haul of 266, and Man of the Match, Trent Boult, did not disappoint, taking three wickets in as many balls. First, Fakhar Zaman was dismissed when a ball from Boult rattled into his stumps. Boult’s next ball struck the pads of Babar Azam, seeing him return to the changing room without a run. Mohammed Hafeez quickly followed Azam in and out of the pavilion, as Boult powered into his pad for lbw. Hafeez reviewed, but Hawkeye clearly showed the ball striking his leg stump, and so Boult’s hat-trick was complete.
Shoaib Malik and Imam Ul-Haq sought to stymie the flow of wickets, and their partnership took Pakistan from 8 for 3 to 71 for 4, but Colin de Grandhomme caught a ball from Ferguson off the bat of Ul-Haq, dismissing the opener for 34. Shoaib followed Ul-Haq off the pitch in the following over, having chipped a ball to mid-off to be smartly caught by Kane Williamson for 30.
Sarfraz Ahmed and Shadab Khan strode out to bat, and survived five overs, before Shadhab Khan was caught by wicketkeeper Latham off a ball from Sodhi. Shadhab was unconvinced of his dismissal, but with Pakistan having no remaining reviews, the batsman could do nothing except return to the pavilion.
Sarfraz was joined at the crease by Imad Khan, and their steady partnership attempted to pull Pakistan’s run rate up, but it was not enough, as Sarfraz’s off stump was punched out of the ground by a yorker from medium-pace bowler Colin de Grandhomme. With Pakistan’s required run rate exceeding 10 runs an over shortly after Sarfraz’s dismissal, the host’s chances were becoming increasingly slim. Imad Wasim managed to gather a half century off 72 balls, but then was caught by Grandhomme off a ball from Southee.
Hasan Ali was dismissed for 16 following a catch from Boult deep in the outfield, and Afridi followed his team mate for the final wicket of the day as Ferguson removed his middle stump, bringing Pakistan’s total to 219, with New Zealand winning the match by a comfortable 47 runs.
