RAWALPINDI: Victory, and a series win, felt within grasp for Pakistan but New Zealand and Mark Chapman had other ideas.

The left-handed Chap­man smashed a magnificent 104 not out off 57 balls, hitting four sixes and 11 fours, launching a blistering counterattack to deliver a six-wicket victory for New Zealand as the Black Caps finish the five-match series level at 2-2.

Pakistan were 2-0 up after the opening two games but New Zealand hit back when they edged a cliffhanger in the third match and after the fourth game was washed out, Chapman proved to be a thorn in hosts’ ambitions.

Opener Mohammad Rizwan’s 98 not out off 62 balls, featuring four sixes and seven fours, and brisk knocks from Iftikhar Ahmed (36) and Imad Wasim (31) had steered Pakistan to 193-5 after they had been put into bat.

Imad and Shaheen Afridi then picked two wickets each as Pakistan reduced New Zealand to 73-4 before Chapman took the attack to Pakistan alongside James Neesham, who clobbered two sixes and four fours in an unbeaten 25-ball 45.

Having raised his 50 off 30 balls, Chapman completed his 100 off 54. He and Neesham made 121 off 61.

Earlier, Pakistan started before losing three wickets in quick succession.

Skipper Babar Azam was caught in the deep off Blair Tickner (3-33) for 19 before Mohammad Haris depar­ted first ball with Saim Ayub walking soon after as Pakistan slipped to 52-3.

But Rizwan restored momentum with a 71-run stand with Iftikhar and a 68-run partnership with Imad. Needing two runs off the last ball to complete his second century in the format, Rizwan couldn’t reach the landmark and ultimately Pakistan couldn’t get the win.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:
Mohammad Rizwan not out 98
Babar Azam c Young b Tickner 19
Mohammad Haris c Sodhi b Tickner 0
Saim Ayub c&b Sodhi 0
Iftikhar Ahmed c Ravindra b Tickner 36
Imad Wasim run out (Latham) 31
Faheem Ashraf not out 1

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, W-5) 8
TOTAL (for five wkts, 20 overs) 193
DID NOT BAT: Shadab Khan, Shahen Shah Afridi. Haris Rauf, Ihsanullah.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-51 (Babar), 2-52 (Haris), 3-52 (Saim), 4-123 (Iftikhar), 5-191 (Imad)
BOWLING: Milne 4-0-31-0, Ravindra 2-0-29-0 (1w), Shipley 3-0-34-0 (2w), Tickner 4-0-33-3 (1w). Sodhi 4-0-21-1, Neesham 3-0-42-0 (1w).

NEW ZEALAND:
T. Latham c Shadab b Shaheen 0
C. Bowes b Imad 19
W. Young c Rizwan b Shaheen 4
D. Mitchell c Haris b Imad
M. Chapman not out 104
J. Neesham not out 45

EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-2, W-4) 7
TOTAL (for four wkts, 19.2 overs) 194
DID NOT BAT: R. Ravindra, A. Milne, B. Tickner, I. Sodhi, H. Shipley.

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Latham), 2-4 (Young), 3-26 (Bowes), 4-73 (Mitchell).
BOWLING: Shaheen 4-0-48-2, Imad 4-0-21-2 (1w), Ihsanullah 4-0-39-0 (1w, 2nb), Haris 4-0-39-0 (2w), Shadab 2-0-29-0, Faheem 1.2-0-17-0.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2023