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  • World Cup 2019: Pakistan beats New Zealand by 06 Wickets

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    Pakistan face New Zealand in the 33rd clash of the World Cup at Edgbaston File Photo Pakistan face New Zealand in the 33rd clash of the World Cup at Edgbaston

    Pakistan beat New Zealand by six wickets riding high on Babar Azam’s maiden World Cup century and Haris Sohail’s second half-century on the trot in the tournament.

    Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme hit fighting half-centuries as New Zealand posted 237 for six after Shaheen Shah Afridi s three-wicket burst left them in a perilous position against Pakistan on Wednesday.

    Neesham finished with a career-best one-day international score of 97 not out, hitting a six off the final ball, while De Grandhomme scored 64 to give their unbeaten team side a defensible total at Edgbaston.

    The pair, who came together at 83-5, added 132 for the sixth wicket, repairing the damage after a collapse following Kane Williamson s decision to bat in overcast conditions in Birmingham.

    Teenager Shaheen, who finished with figures of 3-28 in his 10 overs, wrecked the New Zealand top order, taking three wickets in 20 balls as Pakistan looked for a crucial victory following their win against South Africa. Neesham, whose previous highest ODI score was 74, hit five fours and three sixes in his sixth ODI fifty and was ably supported by De Grandhomme.

    Despite New Zealand s fightback, Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said he was confident his side could win the match and stay in the hunt for a semi-final place. "Shaheen Afridi is only 19, we ve got to understand that. Today he was outstanding, he asked a lot of questions," he said. "Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme played well. I thought we kept them at bay pretty well. I think there s always going to be a partnership, it s that sort of wicket, but they showed us how to play on the wicket. I m backing us to chase that total."

    New Zealand were wobbling badly when the in-form Williamson was dismissed by leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who enticed the captain into giving an edge to wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed when he was on 41.

    Williamson, who had scored centuries in each of his previous innings, put on 37 for the fifth wicket with Neesham after New Zealand had slipped to 46-4. Mohammad Amir was first to strike, bowling Martin Guptill with the New Zealand score on five before Shaheen had opener Colin Munro (12) caught by Haris Sohail in the slips.

    Ross Taylor edged a Shaheen delivery to Sarfaraz and Tom Latham departed in similar fashion. Overnight rain delayed the start by an hour but the umpires decided the match would remain at 50 overs per side. New Zealand, who are second in the 10-team table with 11 points, kept the same team for the fifth match in a row. Pakistan, who are seventh, with five points, also kept faith with the team that beat South Africa at Lord s on Sunday. If New Zealand win they will join title-holders Australia in the semi-finals.

    Babar Azam (72 off 93 balls) and Haris Sohail (27 off 40 balls) are currently batting for Pakistan after Mohammad Hafeez (32 off 50 balls) was dismissed by New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson at 24.5 overs.

    Sohail finally hit the first six of the innings with much aggression off Santner's delivery at 29.4 overs.

    Earlier, as Hafeez and Babar sought to build their partnership, Neesham bowled an expensive 23rd over which gave away 13 runs, with Azam and Hafeez each hitting a four.

    The 19th over almost went without a run when at the last ball Babar hit a boundary for four.

    As Azam hit the 29-run mark at 17.3 overs, he became the second-fastest to 3,000 ODI runs — 68 innings. Amla got there in 57. Viv Richards in 69, and Greenidge, Kirsten, Dhawan, and Root all did it in 72, according to ESPN Cricinfo.

    Hafeez hit two beautifully timed boundaries for four on the second and fourth ball of the 15th over.

    Earlier in the game, an ESPN Cricinfo commentator analysing Babar's performance had said: "Babar needs to play within himself today. People tend to criticise him for his slow strike rate, but this chase is custom-built for him to anchor with a classical knock out of an ODI in the 90s. If he does win it for his team, the tournament table is going to open up furthermore, and the fourth playoff spot's occupation will become as unpredictable as this Pakistan team."

    Imamul Haq became the second wicket to go for the Green Shirts in the 11th over as he edged a hit off Ferguson's ball which was taken by Guptill.

    The match innings was opened by Imamul Haq and Fakhar Zaman until Zaman was dismissed for nine runs off 10 balls on Boult's delivery caught by Guptill at the end of the third over. He was replaced by Babar Azam.

    At 5.3 overs, Babar Azam almost got caught out hitting a miscalculated pull shot as Colin de Grandhomme raced back and was just a yard away from completing a remarkable catch.

    As the overs progressed somewhat slowly, The Guardian, quoting Ian Smith reported that New Zealand need to gallop through their overs as Kane Williamson will be suspended if he’s pinged again for a slow over rate, as he was against the West Indies.

    New Zealand innings

    New Zealand managed to post 237 runs for the loss of six wickets, thanks to a 132-runs partnership between James Neesham (97 not out) and Colin de Grandhomme (64).

    Pakistani bowlers ripped through Kiwis' top order who were 84 for five by the 27th over. Mohammad Amir struck on his first ball, dismissing New Zealand opener Martin Guptill (5) in the second over.

    Shaheen Afridi stood out, bagging three wickets for just 28 runs in his 10 over spell. He dismissed New Zealand opener Colin Munro (12) in the seventh over, which was all the more precious as it was also a maiden.

    Haris Sohail successfully held on to the ball at first slip after Munro tried to drive a slightly wide delivery by Afridi.

    Afridi then took out Ross Taylor (3) as Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed dove to his right to take an impressive one-handed catch in the ninth over. New Zealand were 38 for 3 when Tom Latham (1) joined his captain Kane Williamson on the crease.

    Latham too fell to Afridi who struck again in the 13th over. The Guardian described Afridi's spell as the "spell of his teenage life". Until that point, he had picked up three wickets for 11 runs in seven overs.

    New Zealand were jolted by Pakistani bowling attack once again when Shadab Khan bagged the crucial wicket of skipper Kane Williamson (41) in the 27th over. The wicket came just as Williamson and Neesham were moving towards a partnership after New Zealand's top order crumbled before Pakistani bowlers.

    It took 32 overs for New Zealand to make it to 100 runs, who lost five wickets along the way.

    Neesham and de Grandhomme then stood their ground to give their team a fighting chance, forming a 100-plus runs partnership.