New Zealand demolish Pakistan to clinch T20 series win

New Zealand thrashed Pakistan in their T20I series closer in Wellington on Wednesday, winning by eight wickets thanks to Jimmy Neesham’s five-for and a 38-ball 97 not out by Tim Seifert.

Having won three of the previous four matches by wide margins, the Black Caps came into the final T20I of the series as heavy favourites across top bookmakers.

BetOnline had them priced at -250 to win, and those odds only shortened when Ben Sears and Jacob Duffy claimed the first three Pakistani wickets for 25 runs inside the powerplay.

The next two dismissals came soon after, with the visitors reeling at 5/52 just past the midway point of the innings.

While captain Salman Agha (51 from 39) played an admirable innings as part of a 54-run stand for the sixth wicket alongside Shadab Khan (28 from 20), Neesham could not be denied.

The veteran seamer — who is off contract with New Zealand Cricket — used all his wile to snaffle 5/22 from his four overs, restricting Pakistan to 9/128. 

If the tourists had any hopes of defending their total, that disappeared quickly as Seifert sent the first over of the chase for 18 runs.

Finn Allen (27 from 12) matched Seifert’s pace by crushing 14 from the second, and in the blink of an eye, the Black Caps had plundered 58 runs off the first four overs.

Seifert made that 92 runs from six overs when he sent the sixth for 25 runs, meaning that even when Allen fell in the seventh, the damage had already been done.

Mark Chapman (3 from 7) came and went, but as soon as Seifert got the strike again, he sent Shadab for four sixes in an over, surpassing the target of 129 on the final ball of the 10th over.

“After a niggle in the hip, I thought there is only one way to play,” Seifert said.

“Wickets were very bouncy, to be able to adapt makes me very proud. 

“It’s just that you are backing yourself, your skills.”

New Zealand and Pakistan now head straight into a three-match ODI series, with the first fixture set for Saturday in Napier.

Cricket betting sites have the Kiwis as heavy favourites to continue their momentum, pricing them at -277.78 to win the series and -200 to claim the opener.

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