Sunday’s third Twenty20 international in Rawalpindi saw an under-strength New Zealand defeat Pakistan by seven wickets thanks to a strong half-century from Mark Chapman.
Silencing a packed 16,000-person holiday audience, the 29-year-old left-hander hit a stunning 42-ball 87 to lead New Zealand’s chase of the 179-run goal in 18.2 overs against the much-maligned Pakistan bowling unit.
Pakistan scored 178-4 with the key contributions coming from Shadab Khan (41), and Babar Azam (37), following the hosts’ being put into bat by New Zealand.
To set the tone for New Zealand’s chase, Tim Robinson scored 28 off 19 balls and Tim Seifert scored 21 off 16.
Before Chapman and Dean Foxcroft (31) took over and added a strong 117 runs in a third wicket partnership to tie the five-match series at 1-1, New Zealand was well-positioned at 53-2 in the sixth over.
Both matches took place at Rawalpindi, with Pakistan winning the second game by seven wickets and the first being lost after just two balls.
Chapman, whose lone T20I century occurred at the same location the previous year, hammered eight half-centuries in the format, including four sixes and nine fours.
Foxcroft was a good support for him.
In the fifteenth over, with 61 to defend, Pakistani captain Azam brought spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi on, but Chapman smashed two fours. In Naseem Shah’s subsequent over, he struck two sixes and two more fours, bringing the target down to 21 from 24 balls.
Abbas Afridi, a fast bowler, took out Foxcroft with a score of 2–27, but New Zealand was only nine wins away at that point. With 10 balls remaining, Chapman and Jimmy Neesham (six not out) made it to the mark.
Azam smashed four fours and a six earlier, and Shadab blasted two sixes and four fours.
As Pakistan added 54 runs in the final five overs, opener Saim Ayub struck a 22-ball 32 and Muhammad Irfan Khan added a 20-ball 30 not out.
With some bold strokes, Azam and left-hander Ayub gave Pakistan a quick start at 55.
A rapid 62-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Shadab and Irfan elevated the innings. Ish Sodhi, a leg-spinner, was New Zealand’s top bowler with a 2-25 record.
The last two games are scheduled for April 25 and 27 in Lahore.
Both sides are getting ready for the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States in June.
