Pakistan 6-177 (Nasir Jamshed 56, Mohammad Hafeez 43, Tim Southee 2-31) beat New Zealand 9-164 (Rob Nicol 33, Brendon McCullum 32, Saeed Ajmal 4-30) by 13 runs.

Pakistan exhibited an all round performance and won vs. New Zealand. It was well led by Nasir Jamshed with the bat and Saeed Ajmal excelled by his off spin.

Pakistan smashed 177 runs with four wickets in hand at the end of the metered 20 overs and New Zealand scored 164 runs for the loss of nine wickets.

Nasir Jamshed (Pakistan) was declared ‘Player of the match’ for his scintillating knock of 56 runs scored off 35 balls.

The specific features of the match

1-   Pakistan has won 2 matches as compared to 1 won by New Zealand in the ICC World Twenty20, prior to the current game.

2-   Pakistan had lost only one game after scoring 150 runs before this match.

3-   Ross Taylor held the highest catches in T20 internationals by holding 27 before this game.

4-   Nasir Jamshed scored the fastest T20 fifty for Pakistan in 27 balls and shares the record with Shoaib Malik.

Match details

The 9^th match of the ICC World Twenty20, was played on Sunday, September 23, 2012, at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Earlier, Mohammad Hafeez, the captain of Pakistan, won the toss and opened the batting with Imran Nazir. Mohammad Hafeez was dropped by Ross Taylor off Kayle Mills on the third ball of the match without a run on the board. Daniel Vettori was introduced in the second over by the New Zealand skipper, Taylor, and Mohammad Hafeez welcomed him with a six on the second ball. Imran Nazir scored 11 runs in the third over with a couple of fours and hit another two in the fifth over.

The Green Shirts took the score to 47 in 5.4 overs when Imran Nazir was caught and bowled by Tim Southee for 25 off 16 balls with 5 fours. The dashing young batsman, Nasir Jamshed, came in next and changed the complexion of the game instantly. He hit a six on the second ball of the seventh over and added another in the next over. Both batsmen dispatched a six each in the 9^th over bowled by Nathan McCullum and the hundred of the innings appeared on board in the 11^th over.

Nasir Jamshed achieved his quick fired maiden T20 fifty in his fourth game on the fifth ball of the 13^th over with a single. It was the fastest fifty by a Pakistani batsman scored on 27 balls. He shares the record with Shoaib Malik who scored his half century on the even balls on September 17, 2007, vs. Sri Lanka at Johannesburg. The second wicket contributed 76 runs in 48 deliveries as Mohammad Hafeez was clean bowled by James Franklin for 43 off 38 balls with 2 sixes and 2 fours.

The third wicket was captured by the Black Caps at 123 and Nasir Jamshed became the fifth victim after smashing 56 off just 35 balls with 4 towering sixes and 2 fours. Umar Akmal powered 23 runs off 15 balls with 1 six and 3 fours and 29 runs were scored in the last two overs by the Green Shirts. Pakistan hammered 177 runs for the loss of 6 wickets after the scheduled 20 overs.

Tim Southee and Jacob Oram were the top wicket takers with two wickets each whereas Daniel Vettori and James Franklin shared one wicket each.

Rob Nicol and Kane Williamson started off reasonably well and scored 26 runs in the first four overs. Nicol opened up with two fours in the fifth over and the first fifty of the innings was attained on the second ball of the seventh over. Shahid Afridi uprooted the stumps of Rob Nicol on the next ball after he had scored 33 off 28 balls with 1 six and 3 fours.

Kane Williamson was unluckily run out with the addition of just one run at his personal contribution of 15 runs. The batsman in great form, Brendon McCullum, and Daniel Vettori steadied the Kiwis innings. McCullum hit two fours in the 12^th over and the hundred of the innings was posted on board with a six from him on the last ball of the 14^th over.

The third wicket associated 48 runs and the score reached 102 when Vettori lost his wicket for 18. Brendon McCullum was unluckily gone as the first ball of the 15^th over from Umar Gul trickled back onto his stumps. He scored 32 off 31 balls with 1 six and 4 fours as Ross Taylor did not give up the chase. The Black Caps required 34 runs off the last 12 deliveries when Taylor punished Umar Gul for three back to back fours. Ross Taylor was run out on the next ball while attempting for the second run after scoring 26 off 21 balls with 1 six and 3 fours.

The Kiwis required 19 runs from the last six balls with three wickets in hand as Saeed Ajmal removed two batsmen in the last over and they managed 164 runs with one wicket left after 20 overs.

The master off spin bowler, Saeed Ajmal, grabbed four wickets whereas Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi claimed one wicket each.

Pakistan won the competitive game with a margin of 13 runs and will play their second pool match against Bangladesh on September 25, 2012, at the same venue.