New Zealand took a commanding lead in their five-match T20I series against Pakistan with a convincing 46-run victory. The win was anchored by half-centuries from captain Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell, who propelled New Zealand to a formidable total. Pakistan's chase started promisingly but eventually faltered, falling short of the target.
The series opener saw Pakistan's new T20I captain Shaheen Afridi make an immediate impact, dismissing Devon Conway for a golden duck in the first over. The initial overs were tight, but Finn Allen's (34 runs off 15 balls) explosive batting against Afridi, featuring a flurry of sixes and fours, swung the momentum in New Zealand's favor. Allen's rapid innings was curtailed by Abbas Afridi, but by then, he had set the stage for further scoring.
Kane Williamson (57 runs off 52 balls) and Daryl Mitchell (61 runs off 27 balls) then took charge, rebuilding the innings in the middle overs. Mitchell's onslaught, including consecutive sixes off Usama Mir and a fruitful over against Aamer Jamal, was particularly damaging to Pakistan. Williamson, after a slow start, also found his rhythm, scoring a half-century before being dismissed for 57.
Mitchell found an able partner in Glenn Phillips (19 runs off 11 balls), who contributed quickly before his dismissal. Despite a potential comeback by Pakistan's bowlers, Mark Chapman (26 runs off 11 balls) unleashed powerful hitting towards the end, and Tim Southee closed the innings with a six, setting a challenging total of 226/8 for Pakistan.
Pakistan's revised opening strategy paid off initially, with Saim Ayub (27 runs off 8 balls) attacking from the get-go. However, his promising start was cut short by Adam Milne. The loss of Mohammad Rizwan (25 runs off 14 balls) in the powerplay further dented Pakistan's chase.
New Zealand tightened their grip with timely wickets, including key dismissals by Ish Sodhi and Tim Southee. Babar Azam's (57 runs off 35 balls) valiant half-century effort kept Pakistan in the hunt, but Milne's double strike in the later overs sealed Pakistan's fate. Despite late resistance, Pakistan was ultimately restricted to 180, securing a comprehensive win for New Zealand in the series opener.
Southee bagged four wickets and conceded just 25 runs en route creating a colossal history. The veteran Kiwi pacer became the first bowler ever to breach the 150-wicket mark in T20Is.
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