New Zealand’s Decisive Victory Over Pakistan Seals Series Triumph

New Zealand delivered a commanding performance, securing a dominant eight-wicket victory in the final T20I of the five-match series against Pakistan at Sky Stadium on Wednesday.
The home side comfortably chased down a modest target of 128, set by the visitors, with 60 balls to spare and the loss of just two wickets, thanks to a blazing opening stand between Tim Seifert and Finn Allen.
The duo added a quickfire 93 runs until Allen was dismissed by Sufiyan Muqeem in the seventh over. He scored 27 off 12 deliveries, featuring five fours and a six.
Muqeem caused a stir in New Zealand’s run chase by dismissing in-form Mark Chapman, stumped, in his next over.
However, Seifert continued his aggressive batting and steered New Zealand to victory with an unbeaten 87 off 38 deliveries, including six fours and 10 sixes.
He also shared a one-sided 28-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell, who remained unbeaten on two.
For Pakistan, Sufiyan Muqeem was the lone wicket-taker, claiming two wickets for just six runs in his two overs.
New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell’s decision to bowl first paid dividends as the touring side struggled to post a competitive total, despite Salman Ali Agha’s half-century.
Pakistan’s innings got off to a poor start, losing hard-hitting opener Hasan Nawaz (0) in the second over with only five runs on the board.
Following the early setback, Omair Bin Yousuf joined Mohammad Haris, but their brief 18-run stand was followed by quick dismissals.
Haris scored 11 off 17 deliveries with two boundaries, while Yousuf managed seven.
The green shirts then lost two more wickets in quick succession, with Usman Khan (seven) and Abdul Samad (four) falling cheaply.
Their dismissals reduced Pakistan to 52/5 in 10.2 overs, before skipper Agha and experienced all-rounder Shadab Khan formed an anchoring partnership.
The duo added a crucial 54 runs for the sixth wicket until Shadab was dismissed by James Neesham on the first delivery of the 17th over.
The all-rounder scored 28 off 20 deliveries, including five boundaries.
Neesham inflicted another blow, dismissing Jahandad Khan in the same over, as Pakistan slipped further to 108/7 in 16.4 overs.
Agha also fell victim to Neesham in the penultimate over, departing after top-scoring for Pakistan with a 39-ball 51, featuring six fours and a six.
Neesham was the standout bowler for New Zealand, taking five wickets for just 22 runs in his four overs, followed by Duffy with two, while Ish Sodhi and Ben Sears each chipped in with one wicket.