World record T20 partnership
- 8 years ago
A world record opening partnership for New Zealand ensured they levelled the Twenty20 series against Pakistan with a 10-wicket win in Hamilton on Sunday night.
Captain Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill put on an unbroken stand of 171 for the first wicket as they made New Zealand's pursuit of Pakistan's 168-7 off their 20 overs look like a walk in the park.
The duo went past the previous best mark they'd set together for New Zealand in Twenty20 internationals of 137 made against Zimbabwe in 2011/12 before passing the world's best mark of 170 from South Africa's Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman made against England in 2009/10 with a boundary when two runs were required for victory.
Williamson, dropped on 61, made 72 not off off only 48 balls, featuring 11 fours, while Guptill's outstanding 2015/16 home season continued with an unbeaten 87 from 58 deliveries while striking four sixes and nine fours.
Pakistan may have won the battle of the sixes with eight, but the Black Caps tallied 20 fours, as Williamson led the way with his neat, inventive strokeplay.
In contrast with the sedate beginnings from Pakistan, New Zealand's chase got off to a rollicking start. The first three overs produced 31 runs and the 50 came up with the last ball of the 5th over to set up the victory.
Pakistan batted first at Seddon Park following skipper Shahid Afridi winning the toss and had Umar Akmal to thank mostly for their tally. He made an unbeaten 56 off just 27 balls (four sixes and four fours) as his 50 came up off only 22 balls - the second-fastest for Pakistan behind his 21-ball half-century against Australia in 2010.
Grant Elliott of the Black Caps celebrates the wicket of Sohaib Maqsood of Pakistan during the International Twenty20 match between New Zealand and Pakistan at Seddon Park.
Fellow middle-order bat Shoaib Malik made 39 off 30 balls as he and Akmal added 63 for the fourth wicket off 5.4 overs
Mitchell McClenaghan looked to be the pick of the Black Caps bowlers and had figures of 1-8 off his first three overs before conceding 15 off his last but picking up another wicket.
New Zealand, with a somewhat limited bowling line-up minus Trent Boult and Matt Henry, opened the bowling with left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner.
With the pitch on the far edge of the wicket block, one boundary was massively inviting at just 52 metres away and Santner was the chief victim of this. Williamson probably had the left-arm spinner bowling from the wrong end as he was picked up over the leg-side boundary for sixes three times, with Akmal striking two in succession as Pakistan improved their run-rate in the second half of their innings.
Corey Anderson, after his re-introduction to the bowling crease in the opening match in Auckland, impressed with his sharpness in his first three overs. He had figures of 1-12 but conceded 14 off his final over.
Pakistan won the opening match of the three-game series by 16 runs in Auckland on Friday night, with the final and deciding Twenty20 encounter to be played in Wellington on Friday.
Pakistan 168-7 (Umar Akmal 56 not out, Shoaib Malik 39) lost to New Zealand (Martin Guptill 87 not out, Kane Williamson 72no) by 10 wickets.
Captain Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill put on an unbroken stand of 171 for the first wicket as they made New Zealand's pursuit of Pakistan's 168-7 off their 20 overs look like a walk in the park.
The duo went past the previous best mark they'd set together for New Zealand in Twenty20 internationals of 137 made against Zimbabwe in 2011/12 before passing the world's best mark of 170 from South Africa's Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman made against England in 2009/10 with a boundary when two runs were required for victory.
Williamson, dropped on 61, made 72 not off off only 48 balls, featuring 11 fours, while Guptill's outstanding 2015/16 home season continued with an unbeaten 87 from 58 deliveries while striking four sixes and nine fours.
Pakistan may have won the battle of the sixes with eight, but the Black Caps tallied 20 fours, as Williamson led the way with his neat, inventive strokeplay.
In contrast with the sedate beginnings from Pakistan, New Zealand's chase got off to a rollicking start. The first three overs produced 31 runs and the 50 came up with the last ball of the 5th over to set up the victory.
Pakistan batted first at Seddon Park following skipper Shahid Afridi winning the toss and had Umar Akmal to thank mostly for their tally. He made an unbeaten 56 off just 27 balls (four sixes and four fours) as his 50 came up off only 22 balls - the second-fastest for Pakistan behind his 21-ball half-century against Australia in 2010.
Grant Elliott of the Black Caps celebrates the wicket of Sohaib Maqsood of Pakistan during the International Twenty20 match between New Zealand and Pakistan at Seddon Park.
Fellow middle-order bat Shoaib Malik made 39 off 30 balls as he and Akmal added 63 for the fourth wicket off 5.4 overs
Mitchell McClenaghan looked to be the pick of the Black Caps bowlers and had figures of 1-8 off his first three overs before conceding 15 off his last but picking up another wicket.
New Zealand, with a somewhat limited bowling line-up minus Trent Boult and Matt Henry, opened the bowling with left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner.
With the pitch on the far edge of the wicket block, one boundary was massively inviting at just 52 metres away and Santner was the chief victim of this. Williamson probably had the left-arm spinner bowling from the wrong end as he was picked up over the leg-side boundary for sixes three times, with Akmal striking two in succession as Pakistan improved their run-rate in the second half of their innings.
Corey Anderson, after his re-introduction to the bowling crease in the opening match in Auckland, impressed with his sharpness in his first three overs. He had figures of 1-12 but conceded 14 off his final over.
Pakistan won the opening match of the three-game series by 16 runs in Auckland on Friday night, with the final and deciding Twenty20 encounter to be played in Wellington on Friday.
Pakistan 168-7 (Umar Akmal 56 not out, Shoaib Malik 39) lost to New Zealand (Martin Guptill 87 not out, Kane Williamson 72no) by 10 wickets.