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WHITE FERNS VERSUS PAKISTAN - SIR JOHN DAVIES OVAL, QUEENSTOWN
RESULT: NEW ZEALAND WIN BY 6 WICKETS (DLS)
Amelia Kerr was named captain of the side due to regular captain Sophie Devine having received a cortisone injection in her knee.
The Pakistan batters had a great start with the bat with a 64-run opening partnership between Muneeba Ali and Sidra Amin. They took to Jess Kerr and Molly Penfold early in the game with seven runs coming from each of their opening overs. Eden Carson and Kerr then slowed down the next two before Hannah Rowe went for 13 runs in the fifth over.
At the end of the powerplay, the visitors sat on 41/0 and in the eighth over had a 50-run stand between them from 44 balls, Ali contributing 23 runs and Amin 24.
Captain Melie Kerr made the first breakthrough with the wicket of Ali in the tenth over for 27 from 31 and then Carson had a first in the next over with Shamas being caught superbly by Fran Jonas.
One of Pakistan’s main contributors, Aliya Riaz, could only get 4 from 9 today with Carson grabbing her wicket.
Nida Dar and Fatima Sana had the task of taking Pakistan’s innings from 95/4 up to a competitive total. They added 19 runs in their 2.4-over partnership before Dar was out for 25 from 20 with Kerr grabbing her opposing captain.
Sana and Natalia Pravaiz were able to see their side through to 137/5 from their 20 overs with Sana finishing on 17* from 13 and Parvaiz on 9* from 6. Amelia Kerr took figures of 3/11 with one maiden from her four overs whilst Eden Carson took 2/20 (4). Amin top scored for Pakistan with 43 (38) and Ali made 27 (31).
Suzie Bates and Bernie Bezuidenhout opened up for the home side in pursuit of 138 for the win.
Bates got her side off to a flying start with a 31-run partnership alongside Bezuidenhout. In the 31-run stand, Bates made 23 runs with Bezuidenhout making four and the other four runs being leg byes.
Bates and Amelia Kerr batted superbly together in the middle for the 9 overs they were at the crease as they made 63 runs for their side.
Sana, Waheeda Akhter, and Dar all went at over 8 runs an over with Dar going for 29 runs off three overs, Akhter going for 18 from 2 overs and Sana 16 from 2 overs.
Nashra Sundhu and Sadia Iqbal bowled very well for Pakistan to keep their side in the game. Iqbal bowed four overs and only went for 15 runs whilst picking up a wicket.
Sundhu bowled four overs as well and went for 19 runs with the wicket of Kerr being her scalp of the day.
When Kerr was out for 35 from 31, Aotearoa still required 42 runs from the last 6.2 overs. However, rain brought an end to the game at the end of the fourteenth over with New Zealand coming out as winners by 6 runs on DLS method.
Suzie Bates top scored with 51*, her 27th T20I 50 while Kerr made 35. Iqbal and Sundhu both took a wicket each for Pakistan.
White Ferns XI: Bernie Bezuidenhout (WK), Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr ©, Maddy Green, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Izzy Gaze, Jess Kerr, Molly Penfold, Eden Carson, Fran Jonas
Pakistan XI: Muneeba Ali (WK), Sidra Amin, Sadaf Shamas, Nida Dar ©, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Waheeda Akhter, Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal
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