Agence France-presse
Wellington, Jan 22: Corey Anderson (82 n o, 42b, 6×4, 4×6) whacked a career-best knock and followed up with two wickets as New Zealand demolished Pakistan by 95 runs in their deciding Twenty20 match here Friday. The hosts thus won the series 2-1.
New Zealand, after being sent in, posted an imposing 196 before rolling Pakistan for 101 in the 17th over. The comprehensive victory marked the return of burly all-rounder Anderson to his best after he missed the first half of the New Zealand summer because of injury.
Anderson (2/17) supported the other Kiwi bowlers in which Grant Elliott (3/7) and Adam Milne (3/8) stood out. Both bowled impeccable spells making it very difficult for the Pak batsmen to score.
Anderson’s lack of cricket was evident in a rocky start to his innings when he went to the crease with New Zealand at 62-2 after seven overs. He scored 15 off the first 10 deliveries. But in the last five overs of the Kiwi innings when he faced 19 balls, the burly player bludgeoned 46 runs.
Sarfraz Ahmed (41, 36b, 5×4) and Shoaib Malik (14) were the only Pakistani batsmen to reach double figures as Elliott and Milne proved too difficult to handle in the daunting run chase.
The Kiwis however, should also be indebted to Martin Guptill (42, 19b, 6×4, 2×6) who put on 57 runs with skipper Kane Williamson for the first wicket in six overs.
Brief scores: New Zealand 196 for 5 (Corey Anderson 82 n o, Martin Guptill 42, Wahab Riaz 2/43) bt Pakistan 101 in 16.1 overs (Sarfraz Ahmed 41, Grant Elliott 3/7, Adam Milne 3/8) by 95 runs.
