CHRISTCHURCH: Pakistan slumped to a nine-wicket defeat in the first Twenty20 against New Zealand in Christchurch on Sunday after failing to defend a meagre score of 91.

The tourists began the five-match series in disastrous fashion, reduced to 11-4 at the end of the fifth over after towering paceman Kyle Jamieson ran amok with the new ball.

They were eventually dismissed for their lowest score in a T20 on New Zealand soil and the home side romped to 92-1 off just 10.1 overs.

Jamieson claimed three of the first four wickets to finish with 3-8 off four overs.

New ball partner Jacob Duffy returned later in the innings to sweep up the tail and, like Jamieson, claimed career-best T20 figures — 4-14 off 3.4 overs.

“We had some pretty favourable conditions,” player of the match Jamieson said of the Hagley Oval pitch which offered early movement.

“Myself and Duff, I’m sure we would take that pitch with us most places around the country if we could.

“You keep the seam upright and hit the deck and just let the conditions do the work.”

Pakistan never recovered from their top-order collapse, with only three players reaching double figures.

New captain Salman Ali Agha scored 18 and put on 46 for the fifth wicket with top-scorer Khushdil Shah, who struck three sixes in his 32 off 30 balls.

Jahandad Khan scored 17 at a run-a-ball before the innings ended with eight balls still to be bowled. Pakistan’s previous lowest T20 score in New Zealand was 101 in a 95-run loss in Wellington in 2016.

Opener Tim Seifert got New Zealand off to a flying start with 44 off 29 balls, striking seven fours and one six. Finn Allen on 29 and Tim Robinson on 18 completed the chase off the first ball of the 11th over.

Salman said Pakistan would need to adapt to what could be green conditions again for the second match in Dunedin on Tuesday.

“It was obviously difficult, they were bowling in the right area and there was swing and seam for them as well,” he said. “But we didn’t bat up to the mark.

“Always in New Zealand, the new ball does a bit and we have the bowlers who can do that too.

“We don’t have much time. We need to regather as quickly as we can.”

SCOREBOARD

PAKISTAN:

Mohammad Haris c Hay b Jamieson 0

Hassan Nawaz c Jamieson b Duffy 0

Salman Ali Agha c Seifert b Sodhi 18

Irfan Khan Niazi c Hay b Jamieson 1

Shadab Khan c Robinson b Jamieson 3

Khushdil Shah c Allen b Duffy 32

Abdul Samad c Bracewell b Sodhi 7

Jahandad Khan c Bracewell b Foulkes 17

Shaheen Afridi c Hay b Duffy 1

Abrar Ahmed c Bracewell b Duffy 2

Mohammad Ali not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-6) 9

TOTAL (all out, 18.4 overs) 91

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Haris), 2-0 (Hassan), 3-1 (Irfan), 4-11 (Shadab), 5-57 (Salman), 6-64 (Khushdil), 7-80 (Samad), 8-85 (Jahandad), 9-89 (Shaheen)

BOWLING: Jamieson 4-1-8-3, Duffy 3.4-0-14-4 (2w), Foulkes 3-0-11-1 (1w), Bracewell 4-0-28-0 (1w), Sodhi 4-0-27-2

NEW ZEALAND:

T. Seifert c Haris b Abrar 44

F. Allen not out 29

T. Robinson not out 18

EXTRAS (LB-1) 1

TOTAL (for one wicket, 10.1 overs) 92

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-53 (Seifert)

DID NOT BAT: M. Chapman, D. Mitchell, M. Hay, M. Bracewell, Z. Foulkes, J. Jamieson, I. Sodhi, J. Duffy

BOWLING: Shaheen 2-0-17-0, Ali 3-0-25-0, Jahandad 1-0-16-0, Abrar 2.1-0-15-1, Shadab 2-0-18-0

RESULT: New Zealand won by nine wickets.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Kyle Jamieson

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025