RAWALPINDI: Wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan fired all cylinders in the fifth PAK vs NZ T20I and muscled the home side to a commendable total of 193/5 against New Zealand here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Put into bat first by New Zealand captain Tom Latham, Pakistan piled a massive total on the scoreboard in their allotted 20 overs at the back of a magnificent 98-run knock by Rizwan.
Earlier, Pakistan’s dependable opening pair of Babar Azam and Rizwan scripted a flying start for the home side as they raised a brisk 50-run partnership inside the batting powerplay before Blair Tickner struck gold for New Zealand.
The right-arm pacer dismissed Pakistan skipper Babar in the sixth over, who could score 19 off 18 deliveries, laced up with three boundaries.
Pakistan then succumbed to 52/3 in just four deliveries as young batters Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub perished on ducks.
Rizwan, on the other hand, stood firm amid the brief collapse and stitched an anchoring partnership with in-form Iftikhar Ahmed.
The pair raised 71 runs for the fourth wicket before Iftikhar perished while attempting to hit back-to-back sixes off Tickner. He smashed three boundaries and two sixes on his way to a 22-ball 36.
After Iftikhar’s departure, all-rounder Imad Wasim supported Rizwan brilliantly and further sky-rocketed the home side’s total with a 68-run partnership.
Imad remained the core aggressor of the fifth-wicket stand with Rizwan as he struck a quickfire 31 off just 14 deliveries, hitting five boundaries and a six before perishing in the final over.
Rizwan, on the other hand, carried his bat all the way through but failed to convert his terrific knock into a century as James Neesham deceived him on the final delivery to deny the former’s milestone.
He top-scored for Pakistan with an unbeaten 98 off 62 deliveries with the help of seven boundaries and four sixes.
Tickner led the bowling attack for New Zealand with 3/33 while Ish Sodhi followed him with one scalp.
The post PAK vs NZ: Mohammad Rizwan 98* propels Pakistan to mammoth 193/5 appeared first on ASports.tv.
from Cricket – ASports.tv https://ift.tt/cC3pzyA