The similarities with 1992 continue!
What a chase that was from Pakistan. They did not look nervy for one moment, not when they lost Fakhar easrly, not when Imam was bounced out, and certainly not when Hafeez slogged needlessly. They found the batsmen to come in and stabilise and all through that, Babar Azam stood like a rock.
He walked in at the fall of Fakhar's wicket and looked confident straight away. Kept hitting everything off the middle and built important partnerships with Hafeez and Imam initially. Haris Sohail then joined him at the crease and continued his fine form with a second consecutive fifty, though he could not see off the game, he was run out with Pakistan needing 2 to win. Fittingly, it was the captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed, who hit the winning runs.
Pakistan were only troubled in a small phase where Mitchell Santner was gripping and turning the ball almost square. Haris and Babar saw him out, and once they were set, went for their shots, most of which were chanceless and classy. Babar's century was Pakistan's first in a WC by a middle order batsman since 1987, and it was the best occasion to bring it up. He kept Pakistan's semi-final hopes alive.
New Zealand tasted defeat for the first time, and will look to change a few things, maybe get in Henry Nicholls or Tim Southee for the next game, to get a little more confidence to the batting and bowling. It has been great to get you the live updates, do join us tomorrow when India take on West Indies, in what will be a hotly anticipated clash. See you!
Pak 241/4 (49.1 overs)
Maybe the skipper will hit the winning runs, he has to with this being the last over
49.1 Ferguson to Sarfaraz, FOUR, it's all over! Indeed he does, puts this full toss away to deep point
Pak 237/4 (49 overs)
Matt Henry is back.
48.1 Henry to Azam, 1 run, short and pulled to deep square leg
48.2 Henry to Haris, 1 run, tucks this length ball to deep backward square
48.3 Henry to Azam, OUT, run out check sent upstairs. Babar jammed the yorker beside him, Haris runs through, Guptill flies in from backward point, takes the ball in hand and breaks the stumps with it
Haris run out(Guptill) 68(76)
Captain walks out to the middle, fittingly to hit the winning runs
48.4 Henry to Sarfaraz, DOT, steers the length ball to backward point
48.5 Henry to Sarfaraz, 1 run, maybe he will not hit the winning runs. Turns this towards square leg to give Babar strike
48.6 Henry to Azam, DOT.
Pak 234/3 (48 overs)
47.1 Ferguson to Haris, FOUR, length on the stumps, he backed away and played with an open face past backward point to the boundary
47.2 Ferguson to Haris, 1 run, driven to mid off and brings Babar back on strike
47.3 Ferguson to Azam, 1 run, gets the hundred! What a brilliant innings, had two fifties before this and finally made the big one. It was short and wide, he cut through point for one. Hekneels down and plants the forehead on the ground. It was a tough wicket, and he has delivered a masterclass on how to bat on such wickets
47.4 Ferguson to Haris, DOT, short on the body, looks to tuck, gets the top edge onto his grille
47.5 Ferguson to Haris, WIDE, dug into the pitch, too short for Haris Sohail
47.5 Ferguson to Haris, 2 runs, full toss from over the wicket, played with one hand to deep cover, well done in the deep
47.6 Ferguson to Haris, DOT.
Pak 225/3 (46 overs)
45.1 Boult to Haris, DOT, length ball on the off stump, defended back
45.2 Boult to Haris, 1 run, short and helped to fine leg
Babar Azam is on 99 now, the crowd is going ballistic right now
45.3 Boult to Azam, DOT, short and punches this to point
46.4 Boult to Azam, DOT, off cutter outside off and Babar misses his drive. Take it easy, bud!
46.5 Boult to Azam, DOT, struck high on the pad as he looked to tuck it away, scurries back to the crease as Trent pounced in
46.6 Boult to Azam, DOT.
Pak 224/3 (45 overs)
Lockie Ferguson is back.
44.1 Ferguson to Azam, DOT, leg cutter on off, he misses his steer down to third man
44.2 Ferguson to Azam, 1 run, yorker outside off, played with an open face to third man
44.3 Ferguson to Haris, 1 run, yorks him from round the wicket, jammed out well and a quick run is run
44.4 Ferguson to Azam, 1 run, back of a length outside off, steered with an open face to third man
44.5 Ferguson to Haris, WIDE, short, too short actually
44.5 Ferguson to Haris, 1 run, short again following Haris as he backed away, he takes his eyes off and pulls to deep square leg
44.6 Ferguson to Azam, FOUR, short and wide of off, pulled to deep mid wicket and he moves to 99!
Pak 215/3 (44 overs)
43.1 Boult to Haris, DOT, length outside off and it beats the outside edge
43.2 Boult to Haris, DOT, another similar ball, misses the steer Haris Sohail
43.3 Boult to Haris, 2 runs, short and wide, he punches past backward point , he finally gets his fifty with that shot! Excellent innings this has been from him, consecutive fifties too
43.4 Boult to Haris, 2 runs, length on the stumps, flicked softly to deep backward square, and that is the 100 partnership as well. Brilliant
43.5 Boult to Haris, DOT, not all that short, Haris sways away from the line nevertheless
43.6 Boult to Haris, FOUR, they are going home in a canter now. Slightly full outside off, he lifts this with a beautiful high elbow over mid off for four
He is certainly a treat to watch!
Pak 204/3 (43 overs)
42.1 Boult to Haris, DOT, length outside off, defended down the wicket
42.2 Boult to Haris, 1 run, yorker on leg stump, flicked to deep square leg
42.3 Boult to Azam, 2 runs, full and wide, Babar drives beautifully to deep cover, the fielder does well to save two
42.4 Boult to Azam, DOT, looks for the drive again, chops it down the ground
42.5 Boult to Azam, DOT, length outside off, defended towards cover
42.6 Boult to Azam, DOT.
Pak 201/3 (42 overs)
41.1 Santner to Azam, FOUR, good hit! He got down leg and slog swept this away to the deep square leg fence. Good start to the over
41.2 Santner to Azam, FOUR, this is even better! Brings out another sweep and absolutely bludgeons it to the deep mid wicket fence
41.3 Santner to Azam, 1 run, softly turns this to point and takes the quick single
41.4 Santner to Haris, 1 run, drags it short, it rises up a bit, played to backward point
41.5 Santner to Azam, 1 run, short and punched to deep extra cover
41.6 Santner to Haris, 1 run.
Pak 189/3 (41 overs)
Into the final powerplay and Pakistan are right on top
40.1 Boult to Haris, 1 run, short and wide, punched past backward point for a single
40.2 Boult to Azam, DOT, defends this length ball into the pitch
40.3 Boult to Azam, DOT, full and wide of off, driven to short cover
40.4 Boult to Azam, 1 run, short and pulled without conviction to deep square leg
40.5 Boult to Haris, DOT, length outside off, played to backward point
40.6 Boult to Haris, FOUR, played very well with an open face, and gets it to the third man fence
Pak 183/3 (40 overs)
Santner is back.
39.1 Santner to Azam, 1 run, full on leg, driven to long off
39.2 Santner to Haris, DOT, full on off, flicked to backward square
39.3 Santner to Haris, DOT, takes the pad down leg
39.4 Santner to Haris, 1 run, short and spinning in quickly, played to point
39.5 Santner to Azam, 1 run, driven to short cover, who misfields. They have been really sloppy today
39.6 Santner to Haris, DOT.
Pak 179/3 (39 overs)
38.1 Williamson to Azam, DOT, played to short fine
38.2 Williamson to Azam, 1 run, short and pulled powerfully to deep backward square
38.3 Williamson to Haris, 1 run, short again, softly played to mid wicket for a single
38.4 Williamson to Azam, 1 run, full and wristed away to deep mid wicket
38.5 Williamson to Haris, DOT, drifted on middle, defended on the front foot
38.6 Williamson to Haris, FOUR, full outside off, and he just pushes it firmly past short cover for four
Pak 172/3 (38 overs)
Trent Boult is back.
37.1 Boult to Haris, 1 run, starts short and is easily turned to deep square leg
37.2 Boult to Azam, 1 run, comes round the wicket, angles it in and is flicked to fine leg
37.3 Boult to Haris, DOT, length outside off, punched to cover point
37.4 Boult to Haris, SIX, excellent shot! This is full, slow and wide of off, Haris stands on one leg and hammers it straight down the ground and just lands over the ropes
37.5 Boult to Haris, DOT, length again now, defended back down the wicket
37.6 Boult to Haris, DOT.
Pak 154/3 (36 overs)
Colin Munro into the attack, another part-timer
35.1 Munro to Haris, 1 run, length on the pads, turned to backward square in the deep
35.2 Munro to Azam, FOUR, full and wide, driven through the line powerfully past extra cover and mid off. Good shot!
35.3 Munro to Azam, 1 run, cutely steered to short third man
35.4 Munro to Haris, 1 run, length again, pushed to long on
35.5 Munro to Azam, WIDE, past the tramline
35.5 Munro to Azam, DOT, length outside off, driven back
35.6 Munro to Azam, 1 run.
Pak 145/3 (35 overs)
34.1 Williamson to Haris, DOT, comes down and plays to point
34.2 Williamson to Haris, 1 run, short and wide, spinning away further, hit to long off
34.3 Williamson to Azam, DOT, short and pulled to backward square
34.4 Williamson to Azam, 1 run, driven to long on
34.5 Williamson to Haris, DOT, falls short of short extra cover
34.6 Williamson to Haris, 1 run.
Pak 139/3 (33 overs)
32.1 Williamson to Haris, 1 run, turned to mid wicket
32.2 Williamson to Azam, DOT, driven to short mid wicket
32.3 Williamson to Azam, 1 run, to fine leg
32.4 Williamson to Haris, DOT, full and defended
32.5 Williamson to Haris, 1 run, driven to point for a single
32.6 Williamson to Azam, DOT.
Pak 136/3 (32 overs)
Lockie Ferguson is back.
31.1 Ferguson to Haris, DOT, starts full on off, driven back to Lockie
31.2 Ferguson to Haris, WIDE, down leg
31.2 Ferguson to Haris, DOT, beats the edge with an angled ball across Sohail
31.3 Ferguson to Haris, 1 run, punched to extra cover, who misfields and allows one
31.4 Ferguson to Azam, 2 runs, slightly short, pulled without gutso to deep mid wicket and they are back for two
31.5 Ferguson to Azam, DOT, length ball angled in, defended on the front foot
31.6 Ferguson to Azam, DOT.
Pak 120/3 (29 overs)
28.1 Williamson to Haris, DOT, full and driven back
28.2 Williamson to Haris, FOUR, that is a good shot. Spun away, he backed away and played with an open face past short third man
28.3 Williamson to Haris, DOT, beats the outside edge on the front foot with this off spinner
28.4 Williamson to Haris, DOT, another one. Went for the booming drive, was spinning too much though
28.5 Williamson to Haris, DOT.
28.6 Williamson to Haris, DOT.
Pak 116/3 (28 overs)
27.1 Santner to Haris, DOT, big appeal for a catch at slip but it went off the thigh pad
27.2 Santner to Haris, DOT.
27.3 Santner to Haris, DOT, another appeal for a slip catch! Haris came down but wore it on the pad again
27.4 Santner to Haris, DOT.
27.5 Santner to Haris, DOT, spins in sharply, played to point
27.6 Santner to Haris, 1 run.
Pak 115/3 (27 overs)
Haris Sohail walks out at no.5 and he is in good form. Latham behind the stumps has been constantly chirping to his bowlers. Wanted Santner to bowl halfway down the wicket, because he wanted Azam to swing!
26.1 Williamson to Haris, 1 run, short and spinning away, hit to deep point
26.2 Williamson to Azam, 1 run, turns it away to fine leg and gets to his fifty! He needs to continue though
26.3 Williamson to Haris, 1 run, played to deep backward point on the back foot
26.4 Williamson to Azam, DOT.
26.5 Williamson to Azam, DOT, pulled to backward square leg
26.6 Williamson to Azam, DOT.
Pak 110/3 (24.5 overs)
Surprise, surprise, Kane Williamson brings himself on to bowl!
24.1 Williamson to Azam, 1 run,
24.2 Williamson to Hafeez, 3 runs, square drives this full ball past backward point, gets three as the fielder does well
24.3 Williamson to Azam, 1 run, drives the full ball, cover misfields to allow the single
24.4 Williamson to Hafeez, DOT, tries the cute reverse paddle, does not come off
24.5 Williamson to Hafeez, OUT, wicket in the first over for the skipper, wow! Hafeez steps out, and hits across the line, it went straight into the hands of deep mid wicket. Rameez Raja is distraught on air and Baz predicted perfectly that he has got out to a part-timer in the past. Does it again today
Hafeez c Ferguson bWilliamson 32(50)
Pak 105/2 (24 overs)
23.1 Santner to Azam, DOT, chops the cut to backward point
23.2 Santner to Azam, DOT, on the front foot to defend
23.3 Santner to Azam, DOT, drags the length back, defended on the back foot
23.4 Santner to Azam, DOT, full outside leg, played to short mid wicket
23.5 Santner to Azam, 1 run, nicely punched on the front foot to deep extra cover
23.6 Santner to Hafeez, DOT.
Pak 91/2 (22 overs)
21.1 Santner to Azam, DOT, a low full toss, defended down the wicket
21.2 Santner to Azam, 2 runs, spins away from off, steered past slip for a couple
21.3 Santner to Azam, DOT, beats the edge! Got it to spin away from off, Babar played inside the line there
21.4 Santner to Azam, DOT, extends his pad to this one outside off, it goes to slip
21.5 Santner to Azam, DOT, dropped by the keeper! That was short, Babar wanted to cut off the back foot, got a thick outside edge and it was a super difficult chance for Tom. It got too big on him, those just have to stick somehow
21.6 Santner to Azam, DOT.
Pak 89/2 (21 overs)
20.1 Neesham to Azam, 1 run, length on leg stump, turned to square leg
20.2 Neesham to Hafeez, DOT, leg cutter outside off, left alone
20.3 Neesham to Hafeez, DOT, length on off stump, deceives Hafeez a bit who defends after looking to flick it away
20.4 Neesham to Hafeez, 1 run, straying on the pads, this time he plays it to deep square leg
20.5 Neesham to Azam, DOT, short and he mistimes the pull, short mid wicket does well
20.6 Neesham to Azam, 1 run.
Pak 84/2 (19 overs)
Jimmy Neesham into the attack now.
18.1 Neesham to Azam, DOT, full on off, driven back to Jimmy
18.2 Neesham to Azam, DOT, length outside off, punched to backward point
18.3 Neesham to Azam, DOT, leg cutter on off, defended to cover point
18.4 Neesham to Azam, DOT, misses the steer to third man
18.5 Neesham to Azam, DOT, wants to turn it away, gets a slight leading edge, they think better of the run
18.6 Neesham to Azam, FOUR, short and wide, cut away past backward point for four
Pak 77/2 (17 overs)
They took drinks after that over. Hafeez got rid of his helmet and gloves, and immediately sprinted to the dressing room, wanted to relieve himself I guess.
16.1 Ferguson to Azam, FOUR, length outside off, Babar punches it loosely, gets it past backward point and it runs away
16.2 Ferguson to Azam, 1 run, goes back of a length, and is steered down to third man
16.3 Ferguson to Hafeez, DOT, looks to drive this full ball, goes off the inside half to mid on
16.4 Ferguson to Hafeez, DOT, again hangs his bat out to dry, the length ball beats him after straightening
16.5 Ferguson to Hafeez, WIDE, short and wide of off, maybe a bit too high according to the umpires
16.5 Ferguson to Hafeez, DOT, outside edge found but just fell short of Ross Taylor at first slip
16.6 Ferguson to Hafeez, DOT.
NZ do have a knack of coming back well!
Pak 71/2 (16 overs)
15.1 de Grandhomme to Azam, 2 runs, a cute little run down to third man for two
15.2 de Grandhomme to Azam, 1 run, full on middle, flicked to deep square leg
15.3 de Grandhomme to Hafeez, DOT, good stride forward to defend this length ball
15.4 de Grandhomme to Hafeez, DOT, length on the pads, played to short mid wicket
15.5 de Grandhomme to Hafeez, DOT, cutter on off, played to backward point
15.6 de Grandhomme to Hafeez, FOUR, short and wide, punched away to deep backward point
Pak 64/2 (15 overs)
14.1 Ferguson to Hafeez, DOT, jaffa! Length ball just outside off, shaping back in, beats Hafeez's defence
14.2 Ferguson to Hafeez, FOUR, that is classy! Length again, some shape back in again, Hafeez punches it on the jump, and gets it past point and cover point
14.3 Ferguson to Hafeez, DOT, yorks him outside off, dug out to cover point
14.4 Ferguson to Hafeez, FOUR, short at his hips and that is swivelled away to the backward square fence. Another good shot!
14.5 Ferguson to Hafeez, DOT, snorter! Lockie bowls it short, got to rise up to his face, that hit him right on the grill. Must have smelt some leather there
14.6 Ferguson to Hafeez, DOT.
Pak 56/2 (14 overs)
Colin de Grandhomme into the attack.
13.1 de Grandhomme to Hafeez, DOT, starts full outside off and is driven to cover
13.2 de Grandhomme to Hafeez, DOT, goes to a length, defended to cover point
13.3 de Grandhomme to Hafeez, 1 run, full on middle, played to deep mid wicket
13.4 de Grandhomme to Azam, DOT, goes back to a length, defended off the back foot
13.5 de Grandhomme to Azam, 2 runs, short and wide, driven wide of deep cover for a couple
13.6 de Grandhomme to Azam, 2 runs.
Pak 46/2 (12 overs)
Mohammad Hafeez walks in at no.4
11.1 Henry to Hafeez, DOT, drives to extra cover
11.2 Henry to Hafeez, DOT, full on the pads, flicked to mid wicket, who fields well
11.3 Henry to Hafeez, DOT, length ball, played to cover
11.4 Henry to Hafeez, DOT, length again, angling in, defended to mid on
11.5 Henry to Hafeez, DOT, goes full on off, chips it a little, falls short of Matt
11.6 Henry to Hafeez, 1 run.
Pak 44/2 (10.2 overs)
Lockie Ferguson into the attack after the end of first powerplay
10.1 Ferguson to Azam, 1 run, to third man
10.2 Ferguson to Imam, OUT, what a brilliant catch that is! Lockie bowled this on a length on leg, the extra pace generated some extra bounce, it got big on Imam, who was surprised, took the spilce of the bat and lobbed up towards point. This is where the action bega. Guptill at backward point was the closer to grabbing it, he came forward, realized it was dying down on him and dived forward with amazing dexterity and took it with both hands. If not with the bat, he will get you on the field!
Imam c Guptill b Ferguson 19(29)
Pak 43/1 (10 overs)
9.1 Henry to Imam, DOT, overpitched and driven to extra cover
9.2 Henry to Imam, DOT, full and angled across, driven to mid off
9.3 Henry to Imam, 1 run, strays on the hips, glanced away to fine leg
9.4 Henry to Azam, DOT, length outside off, coming in a bit, Babar shoulders arms
9.5 Henry to Azam, DOT, another length ball coming in, he gets the under edge to his pads
9.6 Henry to Azam, 1 run.
Pak 41/1 (9 overs)
8.1 Boult to Azam, DOT, squared up! Lands it on a length and gets it to come back in, fools Babar on the flick. Has a few words after that, all with a smile though
8.2 Boult to Azam, FOUR, what a response! Trent overpitched this, just outside off, Babar strides forward and creams the drive past covers for a boundary
8.3 Boult to Azam, DOT, another beauty by Trent! Length again, angles it across, and beats the outside edge this time
8.4 Boult to Azam, DOT, goes a bit fuller, angled across again, shoulders arms
8.5 Boult to Azam, FOUR, class! Round the wicket and angles it in, but it is full, Babar comes forward and drives it beautiully through extra cover
8.6 Boult to Azam, DOT.
Pak 33/1 (8 overs)
7.1 Henry to Azam, DOT, short and wide, mistimes the punch to cover
7.2 Henry to Azam, DOT, fuller and on off stump too, driven to extra cover
7.3 Henry to Azam, DOT, goes for length, angling into Babar, defended with a straight bat
7.4 Henry to Azam, DOT, length again, driven to extra cover, who misfields a bit but does concede a run
7.5 Henry to Azam, DOT, length outside off now, defended to the off side
7.6 Henry to Azam, 1 run.
Pak 32/1 (7 overs)
6.1 Boult to Imam, 2 runs, was only looking to defend this length ball, but timed it too well, past backward point for a couple
6.2 Boult to Imam, DOT, goes fuller, outside off, defended to the leg side
6.3 Boult to Imam, DOT, length outside off, Imam goes on the back foot to defend
6.4 Boult to Imam, DOT, length again, coming in a little bit, defended down the ground
6.5 Boult to Imam, DOT, length ball outside off, Imam takes a step forward and defends to point
6.6 Boult to Imam, DOT.
Pak 30/1 (6 overs)
5.1 Henry to Azam, DOT, full outside off, driven with great class to mid off. He looks good even with his defence, so the drive is certainly pleasing to the eye
5.2 Henry to Azam, DOT, punches to cover
5.3 Henry to Azam, 2 runs, excellent effort by a backtracking de Grandhomme! This was short, Babar pulls, does not time it at all, and it falls just past a diving mid wicket. He takes two
5.4 Henry to Azam, 3 runs, now this is a better shot! Length wide of off, Babar punches beautifully, and gets it past the covers this time
5.5 Henry to Imam, 1 run, punches this full ball down the ground and takes a quick single
5.6 Henry to Azam, DOT.
Pak 24/1 (5 overs)
Babar Azam at no.3. He has looked good but is not amongst the runs.
4.1 Boult to Imam, DOT, some away movement in the air, dropped full, defended on the front foot
4.2 Boult to Imam, FOUR, outside edge! This is on a length outside off, moving away, takes the edge and runs away past first slip
4.3 Boult to Imam, DOT, straighter on the stumps, defended down the ground
4.4 Boult to Imam, DOT, back of a length, Imam rises up to defend and the under edge gets stuck on the flap of the pad
4.5 Boult to Imam, DOT, length on the stumps again, defended to the leg side
4.6 Boult to Imam, DOT.
Pak 19/1 (3 overs)
2.1 Boult to Fakhar, FOUR, wow! That is some shot. Slightly fuller and well wide of off, Zaman punishes it with a flourishing square drive past point and cover point
2.2 Boult to Fakhar, DOT, goes full on the stumps this time, flicked to mid wicket
2.3 Boult to Fakhar, DOT, beats the inside edge now. Length ball just outside off, and cuts Zaman
2.4 Boult to Fakhar, DOT, half volley again outside off, pushed back to the bowler
2.5 Boult to Fakhar, DOT, defends this length ball to cover point
2.6 Boult to Fakhar, OUT, gone! That is a full ball on leg, Zaman looks to flick it away, he gets a leading edge which goes high, towards point and it is a simple catch. So it is a false start for Pakistan
Fakhar c Guptill b Boult 9(10)
Pak 15/0 (2 overs)
Matt Henry from the other end and he will look to redeem himself after the pasting last game from Brathwaite.
1.1 Henry to Fakhar, DOT, defended down the ground
1.2 Henry to Fakhar, FOUR, not the ball to bowl right now. Wide full toss, slipped out of his hands maybe, and it is driven past the covers. Fakhar is off too with a boundary!
1.3 Henry to Fakhar, DOT, better, goes fuller outside off, mistimed to mid wicket
1.4 Henry to Fakhar, 1 run, full outside off again, driven wide of mid off for one
1.5 Henry to Imam, FOUR, excellent shot! This is a half volley outside off, Imam comes forward nicely and punches it down the ground, and past mid off for four
1.6 Henry to Imam, 2 runs.
Pak 4/0 (1 over)
Imam and Fakhar will have to be on their toes, looking to get the runs while reading the pitch well enough to tough it. It is not too huge a target but the wicket is slow, and the ball is not coming onto the bat. We are looking at a potential thriller, unless Pakistan hit the self-destruct button. Trent Boult to start things off for New Zealand.
0.1 Boult to Imam, DOT, starts full, on middle stump, slight inside edge to the pads
0.2 Boult to Imam, DOT, length on the body now, defended towards mid wicket
0.3 Boult to Imam, DOT, full again, on off stump, no swing, pushed to mid off
0.4 Boult to Imam, DOT, back of a length on off, Imam looks to steer it down on the jump, second slip fields very well
0.5 Boult to Imam, DOT, length outside off, defended on the back foot
0.6 Boult to Imam, FOUR, short and pulled away to the square leg fence. Good shot and it is the first runs and boundary too
NZ 237/6 (50 overs)
49.1 Riaz to Santner, 1 run, full toss on the stumps, driven to mid off after backing away
49.2 Riaz to Neesham, 2 runs, full toss just wide of off, pulled to deep mid wicket and Mitch hares back for the second
49.3 Riaz to Neesham, DOT, yorker finally, played back to Wahab
49.4 Riaz to Neesham, 2 runs, poor from Pakistan this. Jimmy dug this yorker to deep cover, the man threw it to the bowler, who was down on his haunches and missed the throw, allows an easy second
49.5 Riaz to Neesham, WIDE, just past the tramline. Good call that
49.5 Riaz to Neesham, 2 runs, full, pacy and wide of off, hit in the air lands safely, they run two
Last ball coming up!
49.6 Riaz to Neesham, SIX, what a finish! This is slow and short, Jimmy waits on it and pulls with all his remaining power into the stands at deep mid wicket. He is stranded on 97, but I don't think he will mind. It is an excellent display of grit and patience
NZ 223/6 (49 overs)
Mitchell Santner at no.8
48.1 Amir to Neesham, DOT.
48.2 Amir to Neesham, 1 run, good pacy yorker on off, driven firmly to long off
48.3 Amir to Santner, 2 runs, angled in on leg, flicked away to deep backward square leg
48.4 Amir to Santner, 1 run, low full toss on leg stump, flicked to fine leg
48.5 Amir to Neesham, 1 byes, good surprise short ball, goes on the bounce to Sarfaraz, and he messes up the gather
48.6 Amir to Santner, 1 run.
NZ 215/6 (47.4 overs)
47.1 Riaz to Neesham, FOUR, short and pulled away between mid wicket and long on, the two fielders came in, one of them slid and deflected it to the ropes. Excellent finish this from Jimmy and Colin!
47.2 Riaz to Neesham, DOT, digs this one out
47.3 Riaz to Neesham, 1 run, misreads the slower ball, gets the toe end on the pull, goes to third man
47.4 Riaz to de Grandhomme, OUT, 1 run, that was a suicidal second! But he had to go for it. He waited for ages to run this down to third man, and called Jimmy through on the second, the third man fielder throws normally to Sarfaraz, who takes it and breaks the stumps with another mini-throw. But this was a tremendous innings, full credit to Colin here
de Grandhomme run out (Sarfaraz) 64(71)
NZ 209/5 (47 overs)
46.1 Amir to Neesham, SIX, boom! Went full and straight, Jimmy backed away and was ready, heaved it away into the square leg stands
46.2 Amir to Neesham, 1 run, slow short ball, pulled to long on
46.3 Amir to de Grandhomme, WIDE, wants to bowl away from the arc, goes too wide this time
46.3 Amir to de Grandhomme, FOUR, excellent! These two have been out there for so long, and now is the time to hit. This is full, slow and wide of off, Colin hammers it down the ground, beats long on for four
46.4 Amir to de Grandhomme, 1 run, drives this powerfully to long off
46.5 Amir to Neesham, 1 run, yorker right on the money, dug out towards cover
46.6 Amir to de Grandhomme, FOUR, big over this! Full on leg and flicked away to the backward square fence. 18 runs came off this one!
NZ 184/5 (45 overs)
44.1 Amir to Neesham, 1 run, yorker dug out to mid on
44.2 Amir to de Grandhomme, 1 run, yorker again, great execution, flicked away to deep mid wicket
44.3 Amir to Neesham, 1 run, goes short now, slower one too, pulled to deep square leg
44.4 Amir to de Grandhomme, 1 run, dabs this to short third man and brings up his fifty. Gets a huge round of applause
44.5 Amir to Neesham, FOUR, low full toss, on the pads too, flicked away to the deep backward square fence. That is the 100 partnership, what a brilliant one too!
44.6 Amir to Neesham, DOT.
NZ 176/5 (44 overs)
43.1 Shaheen to de Grandhomme, 1 run, short on the body, pulled away to deep square leg
43.2 Shaheen to Neesham, DOT, full toss, driven straight back, the bowler got a hand on his follow through, saved a boundary maybe
43.3 Shaheen to Neesham, DOT, what happened there? This was a wide yorker, Jimmy tried to play it away with an open face. Sarfaraz appeals for an underedge and the umpires go upstairs and the soft signal is not out. Don't think there is an edge, the noise seems to be made by bat hitting the ground. Yes, ultra edge confirms the same
Ok some more confusion here. Pakistan go for the DRS on the under edge, but there is nothing on ultra edge as seen last time round. So the umpire went upstairs for a bump ball, Sarfaraz went for the edge.
43.4 Shaheen to Neesham, 1 run, no doubts here, dug out to mid off
43.5 Shaheen to de Grandhomme, 1 run, length on middle, pushed to mid off, and they take te quick single
43.6 Shaheen to Neesham, 1 run.
NZ 172/5 (43 overs)
42.1 Amir to Neesham, DOT, slower one bowled full, defended softly
42.2 Amir to Neesham, 1 run, defends this full ball to point and takes a quick single
42.3 Amir to de Grandhomme, DOT, cramps him for room with a fuller length ball, played to backward point
42.4 Amir to de Grandhomme, DOT, slower short ball now, swerves away from Colin, who is only too happy to let it go
42.5 Amir to de Grandhomme, FOUR, that's a good shot! This was pacey and angled across on a length, Colin let his arms take over, extends it well to get this to the deep cover fence
42.6 Amir to de Grandhomme, 1 leg byes.
NZ 166/5 (42 overs)
41.1 Shaheen to Neesham, 3 runs, full ball tailing in, flicked to deep mid wicket, where the man misfields and allows an extra run
41.2 Shaheen to de Grandhomme, 1 run, slow ball, short and wide, punched to deep cover
41.3 Shaheen to Neesham, DOT, length wide of off, played to backward point
41.4 Shaheen to Neesham, FOUR, good shot. This was full and on leg too, Jimmy glanced it away wide of short fine leg to the boundary
41.5 Shaheen to Neesham, 1 run, goes for the booming drive on this full ball, gets it off the inside half to deep square leg
41.6 Shaheen to de Grandhomme, 2 runs.
NZ 152/5 (40 overs)
Shaheen Afridi is back.
39.1 Shaheen to de Grandhomme, DOT, beats the edge straight away. Bowled it slow on a length, and it spun away from the bat
39.2 Shaheen to de Grandhomme, DOT, walks down the track now and is beaten on the inside edge. Not too far from the stumps
39.3 Shaheen to de Grandhomme, DOT, goes fuller, still on the stumps, defended down the wicket
39.4 Shaheen to de Grandhomme, 1 run, length on leg this time, turned towards square leg
39.5 Shaheen to Neesham, 1 run, slow cutter outside off, dabbed to third man. That is the fifty for Jimmy and it is a super important and gritty one
39.6 Shaheen to de Grandhomme, DOT.
NZ 150/5 (39 overs)
38.1 Riaz to Neesham, DOT, short and wide, wants to pull it on the front foot, misses his swing
38.2 Riaz to Neesham, 1 run, dabs this length ball near him and Colin calls him through
38.3 Riaz to de Grandhomme, DOT, goes short now, at good pace too, Colin sways away from the line
38.4 Riaz to de Grandhomme, DOT, angles this length ball across now, at pace, misses the cut
38.5 Riaz to de Grandhomme, FOUR, short again, Colin pulls, gets it high on the bat and it flies over the keeper for a boundary
38.6 Riaz to de Grandhomme, 1 run.
NZ 144/5 (38 overs)
37.1 Amir to de Grandhomme, 1 run, length ball steered to third man
37.2 Amir to Neesham, DOT, full ball on off, driven to mid off
37.3 Amir to Neesham, 1 run, full outside off now, driven down to long on
37.4 Amir to de Grandhomme, DOT, length ball cramps him for room, played with an angled bat to backward point
37.5 Amir to de Grandhomme, DOT, drops this right beside him, does not run sensibly. Some good camaraderie there between Colin and Shadab
37.6 Amir to de Grandhomme, DOT.
NZ 142/5 (37 overs)
Wahab Riaz is back.
36.1 Riaz to de Grandhomme, DOT, starts full wide of off, there is a run out chance at cover but the man cannot gather it cleanly
36.2 Riaz to de Grandhomme, DOT, full and wide, angled across, Colin misses the drive
36.3 Riaz to de Grandhomme, DOT, short and wide now, he chops his attempted cut
36.4 Riaz to de Grandhomme, 1 run, nice punch past extra cover on this wide ball, Jimmy says no to the second
36.5 Riaz to Neesham, DOT, defended with an open face
Wahab is given an official warning for running onto the danger zone on his follow through
36.6 Riaz to Neesham, 2 runs.
NZ 132/5 (35 overs)
34.1 Shadab to de Grandhomme, SIX, all the way! Drags it down Shadab, Colin rocked back and pulled, just over the ropes at deep mid wicket
34.2 Shadab to de Grandhomme, 1 run, overcompensates with a full one, is driven to deep cover
34.3 Shadab to Neesham, 1 run.
34.4 Shadab to de Grandhomme, 2 runs, full on middle, square driven past point for a couple
34.5 Shadab to de Grandhomme, DOT, defended on the front foot
34.6 Shadab to de Grandhomme, 1 run.
NZ 121/5 (34 overs)
33.1 Imad to Neesham, 1 run, short outside off, turning in, punched to long on
33.2 Imad to de Grandhomme, DOT, darts it in on middle, pushed back
33.3 Imad to de Grandhomme, 1 run, length on middle, chipped to long on
33.4 Imad to Neesham, DOT, defended back
33.5 Imad to Neesham, FOUR, this is full and wide, and he is driven aerially over cover for four
Sarfaraz immediately yelled out, "Yaar Imad!" It has not been a good spell so far
33.6 Imad to Neesham, DOT.
NZ 115/5 (33 overs)
32.1 Shadab to de Grandhomme, 1 run, loopy on middle, driven to cover
32.2 Shadab to Neesham, SIX, good shot that! This is full and wide of off, Jimmy does not allow to turn, gets well forward and launches it way over the long on ropes
32.3 Shadab to Neesham, DOT, turned to square leg
32.4 Shadab to Neesham, 1 run, the googly is bowled full, played full to deep backward point
32.5 Shadab to de Grandhomme, FOUR, they want to take him on for some reason! This is the leg break outside off, he goes for a flourishing drive, gets a thick outside edge to the third man fence
32.6 Shadab to de Grandhomme, DOT.
NZ 103/5 (32 overs)
Imad Wasim is back, he has bowled just one over so far.
31.1 Imad to Neesham, 1 run, spinning in from outside off, turned to backward square leg
31.2 Imad to de Grandhomme, DOT, plays this full ball to short mid wicket and thinks better of the run
31.3 Imad to de Grandhomme, 2 runs, drifts this down leg, glanced for two. Sarfaraz was not happy with that, immediately shouts "Nai, nai Imad, come on!"
31.4 Imad to de Grandhomme, 1 run.
31.5 Imad to Neesham, 1 run, down leg again, turned to fine leg
31.6 Imad to de Grandhomme, 1 run.
NZ 97/5 (31 overs)
30.1 Shadab to Neesham, 1 run, turning in from round the wicket, glanced to fine leg for one
30.2 Shadab to de Grandhomme, 1 run, leg break on off, driven to long off now
30.3 Shadab to Neesham, 1 run, easily glances this length ball to short fine leg
30.4 Shadab to de Grandhomme, DOT, looks to slog it away, gets a leading edge which falls well short of point
30.5 Shadab to de Grandhomme, DOT, leaves this wide ball alone
30.6 Shadab to de Grandhomme, DOT.
That will be drinks and boy do the Kiwis need it!
NZ 94/5 (30 overs)
29.1 Riaz to de Grandhomme, DOT, full ball wide of off, looks to drive Colin, misses it by a mile
29.2 Riaz to de Grandhomme, FOUR, oh good shot that! Have seen a boundary after a while. This is slightly full on middle stump, and is pushed dead straight down the ground for four
That was only the second boundary in the last ten overs, would you believe it?
29.3 Riaz to de Grandhomme, DOT.
29.4 Riaz to de Grandhomme, 1 run, the stumps are broken at the bowler's end! You know Pakistan have really turned up if they are doing these sorts of things. Colin dropped this length ball near him and set off on seeing Jimmy run, point breaks the stumps and he has just made it in. Just as in, I mean 10-12 centimetres literally. That's how close it was
29.5 Riaz to Neesham, 1 run.
29.6 Riaz to de Grandhomme, DOT.
NZ 88/5 (29 overs)
28.1 Shadab to Neesham, 1 run, loopy leg break on off, much fuller, driven to long on
28.2 Shadab to de Grandhomme, DOT, full on middle, played to mid on
28.3 Shadab to de Grandhomme, DOT, looks to hit this full ball away, gets a slight inside edge onto the pad, the lbw appeal died down quickly because of that
28.4 Shadab to de Grandhomme, 1 run.
28.5 Shadab to Neesham, DOT, comes round the wicket, drops it full on off, driven to mid wicket
28.6 Shadab to Neesham, DOT.
NZ 86/5 (28 overs)
Colin de Grandhomme in at no.7
27.1 Riaz to de Grandhomme, 1 run, length on the body, turned to square leg
27.2 Riaz to Neesham, DOT, a little fuller outside off, angling in, defended to backward point
Jimmy backs away at the absolute last second there, just as Wahab was about to bowl. Got something in his eye I think
27.3 Riaz to Neesham, DOT, huge appeal from the keeper and slip! That was on a length and moved away just a bit to beat the edge, but the skipper is not convinced enough for a review. There was no bat on that
27.4 Riaz to Neesham, 1 run, same line and length, dabbed down to third man this time
27.5 Riaz to de Grandhomme, DOT, short ball, we have not seen many of those today. Surprises Colin, who just about manages to move away from the line
27.6 Riaz to de Grandhomme, DOT.
NZ 83/5 (26.2 overs)
26.1 Shadab to Neesham, 1 run, fuller leg spinner, turned to short mid wicket, that was a quick single. The skipper is in at the batter's end despite the stumps being broken
26.2 Shadab to Williamson, OUT, that is the wicket they wanted! My word, this is a huge wicket and the Pakistani players' celebrations will tell you that. Shadab is roaring literally, and has set off. This was the ball to bowl if you wanted to get someone of the quality of Kane out. He has been all over the place with his lengths, but this is perfect. Loops the leg break above the eye line of Kane, who was on the front foot to defend, realizes he is not to the pitch. It lands on off and spun away quickly, nothing the skip could do, it takes a thin edge which is gobbled up by the opposing skipper
Williamson c Sarfaraz b Shadab 41(69)
NZ 82/4 (26 overs)
25.1 Riaz to Neesham, 1 run, short and wide, cut to deep backward point
25.2 Riaz to Williamson, DOT, back of a length, cramped for room is Kane, defends on the back foot
25.3 Riaz to Williamson, DOT, full ball wide of off, left alone
25.4 Riaz to Williamson, 1 run, full and wide now, punched on the front foot to deep cover
25.5 Riaz to Neesham, 1 run, this length ball rises up, Jimmy rose with it and steered to third man
25.6 Riaz to Williamson, DOT.
NZ 79/4 (25 overs)
24.1 Shadab to Williamson, 1 run, length ball spinning away from off, played to deep point
24.2 Shadab to Neesham, DOT, goes full outside off, Jimmy drives to cover
24.3 Shadab to Neesham, DOT, on a length again, it was pushed through, played to mid wicket
24.4 Shadab to Neesham, DOT, to mid wicket again
24.5 Shadab to Neesham, DOT, that was the googly! Was short, turned away, tried to cut Jimmy, misses it
24.6 Shadab to Neesham, 1 run.
From one Afridi to another!
NZ 76/4 (23 overs)
22.1 Shadab to Neesham, DOT, length on leg, turned to square leg
22.2 Shadab to Neesham, 1 run, similar ball, glanced to fine leg this time
22.3 Shadab to Williamson, DOT, well flighted on off, driven to cover point
22.4 Shadab to Williamson, DOT, another full one, driven to backward point now
22.5 Shadab to Williamson, 1 run, this is short and wide, cut to cover point, they take a quick single as well
22.6 Shadab to Neesham, DOT.
NZ 74/4 (22 overs)
The Kiwi batsmen have some drinks brought out for them, they did that the other day in Manchester too. Another bowling change and it is Pakistan's third left arm seamer for the day, Wahab Riaz.
21.1 Riaz to Williamson, DOT, starts with one on a length, cramped for room Kane, defended to the off side
21.2 Riaz to Williamson, DOT, similar ball, defended to point
21.3 Riaz to Williamson, 2 runs, back of a length on off, he shuffles across and tucks to deep mid wicket, takes two
21.4 Riaz to Williamson, FOUR, length ball angled across, Kane wants to punch, gets an inside edge past the stumps, and runs away to the fine leg fence
21.5 Riaz to Williamson, DOT, good ball now! Length on off, moving away a bit after pitching, beats the outside edge
21.6 Riaz to Williamson, DOT.
NZ 68/4 (21 overs)
20.1 Shadab to Neesham, DOT.
20.2 Shadab to Neesham, 1 run, flighted full wide of off, driven to deep point
20.3 Shadab to Williamson, DOT, good stride forward to defend this flighted one
20.4 Shadab to Williamson, 1 run, full again, half driven wide of cover point for one
20.5 Shadab to Neesham, DOT, leg spinner on leg, turned to mid wicket
20.6 Shadab to Neesham, 2 runs.
NZ 64/4 (20 overs)
19.1 Hafeez to Williamson, 1 run, driven to long on
19.2 Hafeez to Neesham, 1 run, drifting on leg, on a length, punched on the back foot to long off
19.3 Hafeez to Williamson, 1 run, he is going full to Kane, who drives to long on again
19.4 Hafeez to Neesham, DOT, fuller and straighter, on middle, defended on the front foot
19.5 Hafeez to Neesham, DOT, almost a wicket! Drifting in, and this time it spins away to beat the defence. No edge found, so no harm done
19.6 Hafeez to Neesham, 1 run.
NZ 60/4 (19 overs)
Wasim Akram wanted Shadab Khan to bowl for a long time, and he finally gets his wish fulfilled. The leg spinner is into the attack now.
18.1 Shadab to Neesham, DOT, starts with length on leg, turned to square leg
18.2 Shadab to Neesham, 1 run, goes full now, dug out to mid off for a quick single
18.3 Shadab to Williamson, DOT, fuller leg spinner outside off, left alone
18.4 Shadab to Williamson, 1 run, short and wide this time, cut in front of point for one
18.5 Shadab to Neesham, DOT, flights this one on off, driven to mid off
18.6 Shadab to Neesham, DOT.
Why won't they?
NZ 54/4 (17 overs)
16.1 Shaheen to Neesham, DOT, low full toss in search of a yorker, driven to mid off
16.2 Shaheen to Neesham, DOT, beauty. Length on off, coming in initially, and then moves away at the last instant, which caused Jimmy to shoulder arms. Well played in the end
16.3 Shaheen to Neesham, 1 run, defends this length towards point and the skipper wanted the quick single, gets it too
16.4 Shaheen to Williamson, DOT, full ball on off, angled across enough to take it away from the stumps
16.5 Shaheen to Williamson, DOT, full on the stumps now, defended on the back foot
16.6 Shaheen to Williamson, 1 run.
NZ 52/4 (16 overs)
15.1 Hafeez to Williamson, 1 run, full and driven down to long on
15.2 Hafeez to Neesham, 2runs, a bit short, Jimmy goes back to cut, gets an inside edge to square leg, and an overthrow gives them two instead of one
15.3 Hafeez to Neesham, DOT, played to point
15.4 Hafeez to Neesham, 1 run, there was a silly point brought in, but this is full on leg, easily nudged to mid wicket
15.5 Hafeez to Williamson, DOT, played to short mid wicket
15.6 Hafeez to Williamson, DOT.
NZ 48/4 (15 overs)
14.1 Shaheen to Neesham, DOT, goes fuller, angled in as usual, driven to mid on
14.2 Shaheen to Neesham, DOT, good decision to leave. They have to see out this hostile spell from the youngster. Length outside off, and left alone
14.3 Shaheen to Neesham, DOT, much fuller, almost a yorker, driven to cover
14.4 Shaheen to Neesham, DOT, that could have been another! Drags it back to a half volley length, gets Jimmy to drive but it moves away to beat the edge. If that was straight....
14.5 Shaheen to Neesham, DOT, shoulders arms sensibly to this full one outside off
14.6 Shaheen to Neesham, DOT, that is his third maiden on the trot!
NZ 48/4 (14 overs)
James Neesham walks in at no.6 and he provided a good rearguard action with the skipper against the Proteas. How the Kiwis will wish he emulates that today. It will not be easy because the stadium is a sea of green and it is absolutely rocking right now
13.1 Hafeez to Williamson, 1 run, drops it full, easy for Kane, maybe the plan to get him off strike. Down to long on
13.2 Hafeez to Neesham, 1 run, goes full to the leftie, who gets an inside edge on the defence to backward square
13.3 Hafeez to Williamson, DOT, full again, flicked to square leg
13.4 Hafeez to Williamson, DOT, drags it back a bit and gets it to spin in, defended on the front foot
13.5 Hafeez to Williamson, DOT, another flighted one, another defence
13.6 Hafeez to Williamson, DOT.
NZ 46/4 (12.3 overs)
12.3 Shaheen to Latham, OUT, Shaheen has a third! He is turning it on today, and this are his best figures at the WC now. This is a brilliant delivery, landed outside off on a nagging length, coming in with the left armer's angle, Tom had to play at that, because he was unsure if it will come in more or go away. The answer- it straightens just enough to catch the outside edge and it is a much simpler catch for the skipper this time round.
Latham c Sarfaraz b Shaheen 1(14)
They will take drinks with that wicket
Can captain Kane rescue the innings alone now?
NZ 45/3 (12 overs)
Hafeez is back.
11.1 Hafeez to Williamson, DOT, length ball turning in from off, turned to square leg
11.2 Hafeez to Williamson, 1 run, slightly fuller outside off, punched to deep point
11.3 Hafeez to Latham, DOT, drifter outside leg, Tom was backing away, is hit on the thighs
11.4 Hafeez to Latham, DOT, drifter on off now, Tom gets an inside edge to the pads
11.5 Hafeez to Latham, DOT, shorter now, on off and spinning away, punched to mid on
11.6 Hafeez to Latham, DOT.
NZ 44/3 (11 overs)
End of first powerplay and there is no doubts as to who won that period of play.
10.1 Shaheen to Latham, DOT, full and wide of off, driven to cover point
10.2 Shaheen to Latham, DOT, goes for length, wide of off again, hoping it will come back in, it doesn't and that leaves an easy leave for Tom
10.3 Shaheen to Latham, DOT, this is a better line, length ball closer to off, still not the line to trouble the batsman though. Tom lets it go again
10.4 Shaheen to Latham, DOT, a bit fuller this time, outside off again, defended towards point
10.5 Shaheen to Latham, DOT, similar length, wide of off now, easy leave again
10.6 Shaheen to Latham, DOT, maiden!
NZ 44/3 (10 overs)
Tom Latham in at no.5 and he is not in good form as well. Imad Wasim is into the attack now.
9.1 Imad to Williamson, DOT.
9.2 Imad to Williamson, 1 run, worked away to mid on for one
A raft of field changes for the southpaw
9.3 Imad to Latham, 1 byes, typical Pakistan this. He takes a stunner last over, this time fails to gather a quicker dart which was left alone by Tom, allows the bye
9.4 Imad to Williamson, DOT, this is slower, a bit flighted on middle stump, defended on the front foot
9.5 Imad to Williamson, 3 runs, good soft hands there, he should trademark those, It is on a length outside off, he dabs past both slip and short third man
9.6 Imad to Latham, 1 run, off the mark he goes
NZ 38/3 (9 overs)
8.1 Shaheen to Taylor, DOT, fuller length on off stump, sort of skids on, played towards mid on
8.2 Shaheen to Taylor, 3runs, good effort in the field! This is full and wide of off, Ross square drives with good wrist work past backward point and point, the two chase and Shadab pulls it back in with a dive
8.3 Shaheen to Williamson, DOT, angled across on a length, defended with a cross bat
8.4 Shaheen to Williamson, 1 run, good running, Ross called that early. Another length ball angled across, defended to the off side and they take the quick single
8.5 Shaheen to Taylor, DOT, full this time, not so wide, pushed back to Shaheen
8.6 Shaheen to Taylor, OUT, the skipper takes a ripper! Ross Taylor walks early, how often have you read that this WC? This is full outside off, just short of a half volley in fact, Ross wants to defend, the angle across takes the outside edge and flies to the keeper's right, Sarfaraz leaps with the help of his left foot and takes it one-handed with his right hand. Stunner!
Taylor c Sarfaraz b Shaheen 3(8)
NZ 34/2 (8 overs)
Ross Taylor in at no.4
7.1 Amir to Williamson, FOUR, that is the shot of a man in form! This is full and wide of off, angled across, similar to the one that gor Guptill, but Kane is in much better nick, gets forward and hits the ball on the head off the half volley and away she goes past extra cover and mid off
7.2 Amir to Williamson, FOUR, two classy shots! Length wide of off this time, he goes back and punches it with a high elbow, and gets it past point and backward point for consecutive boundaries
7.3 Amir to Williamson, 2 runs, comes round the wicket Amir, and angles it into the body, turned away to deep square leg for a couple
7.4 Amir to Williamson, DOT, goes back of a length now, rises up a bit, Kane does too and defends to the off side
7.5 Amir to Williamson, DOT, switches back to over the wicket, and drops it fuller wide of off, left alone
7.6 Amir to Williamson, DOT.
NZ 24/2 (6.2 overs)
6.1 Shaheen to Munro, DOT, full and coming in through the air, driven to cover
6.2 Shaheen to Munro, OUT, now the other opener walks! So the hope of a Kiwi opener playing well is short-lived. That is not a great delivery at all, it is short, maybe came in a bit off the seam, was very wide, had to be cut away, Colin goes for it but edges behind where first slip holds on. What a start for Pakistan this is!
Munro c Haris b Shaheen 12(17)
NZ 24/1 (6 overs)
5.1 Amir to Munro, DOT, length again, coming in a bit, outside off though, defended on the front foot
5.2 Amir to Munro, WIDE, poor line to angle it in, goes down leg. There was a slight sound as it passed, may have taken the thigh pad, so a harsh call maybe
5.2 Amir to Munro, DOT, goes short now, coming in, and Colin sways away from its line
5.3 Amir to Munro, 1 run, length ball coming into the body, played softly to mid wicket for a single
5.4 Amir to Williamson, DOT, great seam position to bowl it on a length, no swing at all, dabbed towards the slips
5.5 Amir to Williamson, DOT, pitching just outside off, angled across fuller, left alone
5.6 Amir to Williamson, DOT.
NZ 22/1 (5 overs)
Okay, Shaheen Afridi will finally start his first over.
4.1 Shaheen to Williamson, DOT, starts with a wide yorker, which is dug out to backward point. No issues for a man in form
4.2 Shaheen to Williamson, DOT, full length outside off, angled across, Kane lets it go
4.3 Shaheen to Williamson, DOT, this time it is a good length ball, coming in a little, defended on the back foot
4.4 Shaheen to Williamson, FOUR, good shot! Full on leg, Kane was quick to read it, flicked it away off his boot to the deep square leg fence. Fine leg takes too long to come across
4.5 Shaheen to Williamson, DOT, length ball angled across now, dabbed to point
4.6 Shaheen to Williamson,DOT.
Change of bowling already and Shaheen Afridi is into the attack now. There are some issues with the sightscreen as usual. Shadab Khan is seen holding some teagbags, maybe to warm the hands? Have not seen this much before.
Nasser Hussain on air reckons that Afridi is quite tall and hence the batsman have to look up more when he runs in. The sightscreen has some white patches and that did not matter much with Amir and Hafeez, who are much shorter. Okay, seems like captain Kane wants the staircase near the sightscreen to be covered as well. Do not think we have seen a bigger delay between overs, this is longer than drinks!
NZ 18/1 (4 overs)
3.1 Amir to Munro, 2 runs, full and straight, flicked away over mid wicket, they take two
3.2 Amir to Munro, FOUR, that is class! Length outside off, cramping him for room, but Colin arches back a bit and punches it, gets it past point and it runs away. First boundary
3.3 Amir to Munro, FOUR, and here's the second! This is short and wide, had to be hit, and is cut powerfully, past backward point for another boundary
3.4 Amir to Munro, DOT, better line. This is length angled into the left hander, and it is punched back
3.5 Amir to Munro, DOT, similar ball to the first boundary, but this time it is hit softly to backward point
3.6 Amir to Munro, DOT.
NZ 8/1 (3 overs)
We all know who it is at no.3. He should just add WC opener to his resume, going by how things have been so far
2.1 Hafeez to Williamson, DOT, full and straight, flicked to mid on
2.2 Hafeez to Williamson, DOT, length and spinning in, turned to backward square
2.3 Hafeez to Williamson, DOT, similar length, outside off though, turned to mid wicket now
2.4 Hafeez to Williamson, 1 run, little fuller, Kane gets the stride forward and plays to deep mid wicket
2.5 Hafeez to Munro, 1 run, darts it in on off, hit on the bump to long off
2.6 Hafeez to Williamson, DOT.
NZ 5/1 (1.1 overs)
Normalcy restored as Amir steams in
1.1 Amir to Guptill, OUT, gone first ball! My word, Martin has been in really horrible form and it continues here. Amir bowls this full, on the half volley length, angles it across, shaping back in slightly, Martin obliges and goes for the drive, gets an inside edge which goes on to disturb the stumps. Horror start again!
Guptill b Amir 5(4)
NZ 5/0 (1 over)
Guptill and Munro are at the crease and they'll have to hit top form soon if the Kiwis want to go on and win the tournament. They cannot rely on Williamson and Taylor everytime they bat, the top order will have to start firing, and today is a great opportunity to start doing that. Some spin to start off, it will be Mohammad Hafeez to start things off.
0.1 Hafeez to Guptill, FOUR, good start! Starts very full, perfect length for the sweep, Martin got down low and got it to the deep backwad square leg fence
0.2 Hafeez to Guptill, DOT, played to short mid wicket
0.3 Hafeez to Guptill, 1 run, starts wide of off, spun in sharply though, turned away to square leg
0.4 Hafeez to Munro, DOT, yorked him there, dug out to short extra cover
0.5 Hafeez to Munro, DOT, goes for the slog sweep immediately on seeing the full ball, mistimes it to mid wicket
0.6 Hafeez to Munro, DOT.
Time for the national anthems!
Pakistan's anthem is followed by that of New Zealand
Team News
Pakistan XI: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Sarfaraz Ahmed(wk/c), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi
New Zealand XI: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham(wk), James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
NZ win toss; to bat first
Sarfaraz calls wrong and Williamson will bat first. He feels it is a used surface, and wants to do the job with the bat first up. He knows it will swing, and is hoping his batters cope with it well. No changes for New Zealand.
Sarfaraz would have wanted to bat first as well, he says. He is not worried about the overcast conditions at all. Our bowlers are bowling well, though the fielding is still a concern, but they have worked pretty hard on it, he claims.
Toss at 15:30, play starts at 16:00
So the inspection is done and dusted, and the good news is that the umpires have decided we are good to go. The toss will be held at 15:30 IST and play will start half an hour later as per norms, at 16:00 IST.
All this provided of course, it does not rain, but things do look positive on that aspect
A delayed start at Birmingham
So it has rained a lot in Birmingham, so the covers are just being taken off. Here are the words from the Cricket World Cup's official website-
"The latest news from Edgbaston is that we have a delayed start. There will be an inspection as 10:30 (9:30 GMT) but there is hope as the covers are already coming off so we hope to get a full game in today."
Will Pakistan turn up in another crucial game?
Pakistan have landed themselves in a situation such that every game from here is a knockout one. Fortunately, they have a habit of performing well when their backs are pushed to the wall. The return of Haris Sohail to the line-up against the Proteas worked wonders and they may have just found the missing link in their middle order.
For New Zealand, it has been a dream run so far- they are unbeaten in the campaign, but it has not been an easy ride. They emerged victorious in three close games against Bangladesh, South Africa and West Indies. They have been tested enough, and have shown their character at each stage, which would have surely made them stronger.
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