Watch: Tim Seifert goes ballistic as Black Caps hammer Pakistan by eight wickets in Wellington

Wednesday, 26 March 2025

T20I, Wellington: Pakistan 128-9 (Salman Agha 51 from 39 balls; Jimmy Neesham 5-22 from 4 overs) lost to New Zealand 131-2 in 10 overs (Tim Seifert 97 not out from 38 balls) by eight wickets. Click here for full scoreboard.

Nothing could illustrate Pakistan’s woeful T20 series against the Black Caps more accurately than Hasan Nawaz’s run of ’scores’.

New Zealand finished the five-game series in Wellington on Wednesday night with an eight-wicket win which gave the hosts a 4-1 triumph.

Veteran allrounder Jimmy Neesham returned his first T20I five-wicket bag to help reduce Pakistan to 128-9 from their 20 overs, before opener Tim Seifert walloped 97 not out from only 38 balls as the hosts needed just half their allocated overs to reach their target.

Pakistan’s opening batter Nawaz made a three-ball duck, which left him with a tally of 106 runs from five innings and 57 balls - all but one of those runs came in his match-winning 105 among the toy boundaries at Eden Park.

Pakistan’s display - after New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl under lights at Sky Stadium - brightly illustrated how terrible the visitors currently are at the format.

Constant changes in coaching, selection and captaincy have all played a part in Pakistan’s awful record in T20Is since the start of 2024 of won 10, lost 20 - six of those wins coming against Ireland (3), Zimbabwe (2) and Canada.

They’re 3-10 since last year's World Cup in the West Indies and the United States, so given how little fight Pakistan have put up, it was no shock that Wednesday night’s encounter had a distinct end-of-term feel to it.

Will O’Rourke, encouraged by some grass on the pitch and bounce from it, bowled a test match line and length to begin the contest, while fellow quick Jacob Duffy again excelled as the tourists limped to 27-3 by the end of the Power Play.

The experienced duo of skipper Salman Agha (51 from 39 balls) and allrounder Shadab Khan (28) put on 54 for the sixth wicket in 35 balls, and while Shadab had some reason to be aggrieved he wasn’t given a free-hit for a no-ball the delivery before his dismissal, it wasn’t the key reason his wicket fell.

Neesham cashed in on Pakistan’s lax strokeplay to capture 5-22 from his four overs, and there were four more catches for wicketkeeper Mitch Hay, giving him 14 in the series.

In reply, Seifert took 16 from the first over bowled by Jahandad Khan and any thought of an interesting conclusion had completely disappeared by the end of the fourth over, with the Black Caps 48-0.

When they ended six overs at 92 without loss, it became New Zealand's highest powerplay total in men's T20Is.

The opener blasted 10 sixes and six fours to send the capital crowd home entertained and early.

The two teams will begin their three-match ODI series in Napier on Saturday morning.