Mark Chapman's Incredible Century Leads New Zealand to Series-Levelling Win Against Pakistan
Mark Chapman scored a marvellous century (Twitter)
New Zealand: 194/4 (19.2) (Mark Chapman 104* (57), James Neesham 45* (25), Imad Wasim 2-21, Shaheen Afridi 2-48) beat Pakistan: 193/5 (20) (Mohammad Rizwan 98* (62), Iftikhar Ahmed 36 (22), Blair Tickner 3-33, Ish Sodhi 1-21) by 6 wickets
In a dramatic finale to the five-match T20I series, New Zealand pulled off a stunning six-wicket victory against Pakistan, leveling the series 2-2 after being down by two games. The match, which took place at Rawalpindi on Monday, witnessed an intense battle between the two teams as they fought tooth and nail to gain the upper hand.
How the battle panned out?
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first, putting up a strong show in the initial six overs with 51 runs on the board and the only batter to be dismissed was Babar Azam, who scored 19 runs off 18 balls. However, the Kiwis fought back with a flurry of wickets, claiming the scalps of Mohammad Harris and Saim Ayub for ducks.
Despite the setbacks, Mohammad Rizwan's sensational knock of 98* off 62 balls kept Pakistan in the game, and quickfire cameos by Iftikhar Ahmed and Imad Wasim helped them reach an imposing total of 193/5.
New Zealand's chase got off to a rocky start, with skipper Tom Latham and Will Young in the very first over. Chad Bowes followed soon after, leaving the Kiwis reeling at 26/3. However, Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell stepped up to steady the innings, with Chapman continuing his sensational form from the previous matches.
Despite Michell's dismissal for 15, Chapman stayed the course and, along with James Neesham, turned the game on its head with some powerful hitting. His maiden T20I hundred helped New Zealand secure a crucial victory and level the series, after being 2-0 down in the series at one point. Chapman was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his incredible ton.
The focus now shifts to the five-match ODI series which will commence on Thursday, April 27 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.
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