Spirited Kiwis show Pakistan the door

Defending champions tumble out of the tournament after their one-run defeat

Pakistani bowlers, particularly the spinners, justified their skipper Shahid Afridi’s decision to bowl first by restricting New Zealand to a modest 133 for seven, but their batsmen floundered a good chance by folding up for a 132 for seven.

Pakistan appeared to pull it off once they confined New Zealand to a gettable total but New Zealand had other ideas. If it was the spinners who did the job for Pakistan, seamers rose to the occasion for the Kiwis. Shane Bond, Kyle Mills and Ian Butler shared the first five wickets between them to push Pakistan to the corner by reducing them to 58/5 at half-way stage.

Abdul Razzaq brought Pakistan back into the game by taking 16 runs in the 15th over bowled by Daniel Vettori. New Zealand did well to get rid of Razzaq but Salman Butt (68 not out) kept Pakistan in the hunt and with 11 required off Ian Butler’s final over the tiny left-hander swatted the bowler for two boundaries towards third man and deep backward point to bring the equation to three runs off two balls. Butt made the mistake of taking a single off the fifth ball that brought Abdur Rehman on strike. Needing two off the last ball, the left-hander found Martin Guptill at mid-wicket triggering wild celebrations in Kiwi camp.

Earlier, Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder gave New Zealand a rollicking start after being sent in to bat, and looked good for a substantial total. But the slide began when Ryder found the deep square leg fielder while trying to pull Mohammad Sami.

Guptill was all at sea against the spinners, who not only choked runs but gave regular breakthroughs as well. Guptill, after a frustrating stint in which he barely managed to put the bat on to the ball, lost his patience and trying to clear long-on fell to a brilliant diving catch by Umar Akmal off left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman.

Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor were gone in the space of seven balls and at 58 for four, the Kiwis looked in deep trouble before skipper Vettori hauled them out with a 34-ball 38.  He found an able ally in Scott Styris, who chipped in with 17-ball (21) cameo. Nathan McCullum rounded off the innings with a massive six over midwicket to as News Zealand limped to a decent total.

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND
B McCullum c Sami b Rehman    33
Ryder c Rehman b Sami    7
Guptill c U Akmal b Sami    2
Taylor c K Akmal b Sami    3
Vettori (run out)    38
Styris b Afridi    21
Hopkins c Rehman Afridi    2
N McCullum (not out)    12
Butler (not out)    0
Extras (LB-2, W-12, NB-1)    15
Total (For 7 wkts, 20 overs)    133

Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-41, 3-55, 4-58, 5-98, 6-104, 7-127.

Bowling: Aamer 3-0-20-0, Sami 3-0-25-2, Rehman 3-0-19-2, Hafeez 3-0-11-0, Afridi 4-0-29-2, Ajmal 4-0-27-0.

PAKISTAN
K Akmal b Mills    5
Butt (not out)    67
Hafeez c Hopkins b Bond    8
U Akmal c Hopkins b Mills    0
Misbah lbw Butler    3
Afridi c N McCullum b Butler    11
Razzaq c Taylor b McCullum    29
Rehman c Guptill b Butler    2
Extras (B-1, LB-1, W-4, NB-1)    7
Total (for 7 wkts, 20 overs)    132

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-24, 3-25, 4-42, 5-58, 6-111, 7-132. 

Bowling: Bond 4-0-28-1, Mills 4-0-33-2, Butler 4-1-19-3, Vettori 4-0-31-0, N McCullum 4-0-19-1.