New Zealand delivered a commanding performance against Pakistan, winning by five wickets in the second match of the Twenty20 cricket series. Held in Dunedin, the rain-reduced encounter saw the home team take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Pakistan, batting first, posted 135-9 off 15 overs. However, New Zealand reached their target of 137-5 with 11 balls to spare, showcasing their dominance on the field.
The match was notably influenced by Tim Seifert's explosive batting. After facing a maiden over from Shaheen Shah Afridi, Seifert unleashed his aggression by scoring 26 runs off Afridi's next over, including four sixes. He eventually departed after a quickfire 45 off just 22 balls. Finn Allen also contributed significantly by clearing the boundary three times during Mohammad Ali's second over.
"We just looked to be positive, try and get ahead of the chase early and make it easy for our middle order to finish it off," said Finn Allen.
Pakistan's total of 135-9 was insufficient on the small University Oval ground, where several boundaries were swiftly cleared. Allen acknowledged the challenging nature of defending in such conditions.
"It’s kind of hard to assess in a 15-over game but defending out here is pretty tough. Those are small boundaries, so the ball tends to fly a bit here. So I think maybe 170 would have been competitive," Allen remarked.
New Zealand's bowling attack was diverse and effective, with four bowlers each taking two wickets. Ben Sears and Jimmy Neesham were recalled for this match, replacing Tim Robinson and Kyle Jamieson in the lineup, and their presence was felt on the field.
