New Zealand vs Pakistan, 1st T20: New Zealand win by 7 wickets in comprehensive show against Pakistan

1124 hrs IST: WIDE! Not how one would like to lose – with an extra. The short ball is too high and it is counted as a wide. Loud boos across the stadium as Munro fails to get a fifty. Left stranded on 49 but New Zealand register yet another home win – win by 7 wickets. Lead three match T20 series 1-0.

1122 hrs IST: FOUR, FOUR, FOUR! Ross Taylor with three consecutive boundaries to Hasan Ali and New Zealand go beyond the 100 run mark and near the winning line. Just one needed now

1113 hrs IST: SIX! Munro is in brutal form now. Raees with a short delivery, comes into Munro’s body and the Kiwi batsman is quick to react and thumps it over backward square leg for a six. Cracking sound and shot!

1112 hrs IST: FOUR! SIX! Munro doesn’t want to wait around for long here. He goes after Mohammad Nawaz first by creating room to spank it over extra cover for a boundary. Follows it up by dispatching a slower delivery over square leg stand

1059 hrs IST: GONE! Just when New Zealand had taken the command over Pakistan, Shadab has dismissed Bruce for 26. Tried to go for another sweep but this time it is outside the off stump, takes the top edge and Fakhar Zaman holds on at the boundary rope

1056 hrs IST: FOUR! FOUR! Bruce and Munro have taken the game away from Pakistan – if it wasn’t already. In a small run chase, quick fire runs make all the difference and Munro joins the party. Hasan Ali not getting the line right and it has been capitalised upon. This will help reduce the pressure significantly

1054 hrs IST: Eventful over by Shadab. Third ball is swept away by Munro and it lands just short of the long leg fielder. It carries on the half volley but maybe the fielder should have been more proactive to move forward quickly. It is followed by a SIX and a FOUR! A slog sweep followed by a sweep shot and Bruce is all over the spinner

1045 hrs IST: REVIEW! Shadab Khan and Pakistan players make a loud appeal for leg before wicket on Munro. A wild reverse sweep attempt from the Kiwi batsman, gets nothing on it. It has pitched in and the impact is line too. Pakistan opt for a review. There is no bat to it. The ball is going over and Munro survives. NZ 32/2 in 7 overs

1040 hrs IST: Munro is in a lot of pain. Tried to sneak a quick single and is successful in it. Shy at the stumps from mid-off jumps up and hits him on the uncovered lower thumb part of the right hand. The physio came on and tended to him almost immediately

1037 hrs IST: FOUR! New Zealand getting a move on – with some help from poor Pakistan fielding. Low full toss at the stumps by Raees to Bruce. The New Zealand batsman flicks it to long leg boundary. Fielder stationed in the region bizarrely stops while going for a desperate dive. Does end up getting the dive in the end but it is too little, too late

1026 hrs IST: GONE! Pakistan were 4/2 in their start and New Zealand are 8/2 in their chase. Glenn Phillips has draggd this one on from Rumman Raees and the hosts go two wickets down. The ball was touch outside off, didn’t have enough room to deal with and only manages an inside edge back on to the stumps

1018 hrs IST: GONE! New Zealand lose their first wicket with Guptill walking back. Once again, tried to pull on a short delivery. He’s quick to go for it but the ball reaches him slowly. Ends up slicing it to Mohammad Nawaz. New Zealand are 3/1

1015 hrs IST: Martin Guptill and Colin Munro open for New Zealand. They’re chasing 106 for the win. Mohammad Amir has the ball. Guptill almost goes back on the last ball of the first over. Goes for a big heave and ends up splicing it in the air and it goes bit over the mid-on fielder. Amir is not happy with the effort.

0955 hrs IST: Pakistan are all out for 105 in 19.4 overs. Babar Azam the top scorer for Pakistan with 41 runs from 41 balls. For New Zealand, Southee and Rance taking three wickets each 

0954 hrs IST: SIX! Azam brings up Pakistan’s hundred and some saving face moment here with a thundering hit over the long-on fielder. Clears his front leg and sends it straight for a six

0953 hrs IST: FOUR! Fantastic start to the over and the final over of the innings at that. Short and outside off, Azam is quick to unleash a cut square of the wicket for a neat boundary

0952 hrs IST: Final over of the Pakistan innings. Azam on strike. He’s on 29 from 37 balls. Pakistan are 93/9. Munro has the ball

0949 hrs IST: GONE! Pakistan are nine down as Amir is dismissed by Rance for his third wicket of the day. Fellow seamer Southee with the take (he’s been everywhere!). Amir tries to create room to go over the bowler but ends up lobbing it towards mid-off for Southee to complete formalities. Pakistan are 93/9 after 19 overs

0938 hrs IST: GONE! Way to take your revenge. After being pumelled for two thumping sixes, Rance comes back to dismiss Hasan Ali. The brief cameo comes to an end. Into the slot and this was probably going to make it a hat-trick of big hits but for the slow pace in it. Southee comes in from extra cover to take it. Pakistan are 84/8

0936 hrs IST: SIX! SIX! Hasan Ali providing some fight for Pakistan. Finally someone taking on the New Zealand bowlers and succeeding in the process. Rance the suffering party of these meaty hits

0926 hrs IST: GONE! Faheem Ashraf is the latest to perish. Bowled in with pace and bounce by Southee, Ashraf tries to pull but only ends up getting a top edge. The ball loops up and is into the air and Bruce comfortably takes it with both hands at extra cover. Pakistan are 53/7

0921 hrs IST: With Faheem Ashraf and Babar Azam in the middle, 50 come up for Pakistan in the 13th over. Azam pivotal here to ensure a decent total.

0910 hrs IST: GONE! Two-in-two for Santner! Shadab walks back for a golden duck. Santner with a tossed up delivery outside the off stump and Shadab gets a thin edge behind. Phillips with a little juggle on the first attempt but clutches it on to his chest. 

0908 hrs IST: GONE! Pakistan go five down as Sarfraz falls – not so surprisingly – to a spinner. Very slow through the air by Santner and Sarfraz had readied himself for a sweep shot. Went low and dragged his back leg to go flat out. Loses his balance, stays flat on the ground and simple stumping for Phillips.

0900 hrs IST: Ish Sodhi has Sarfraz Ahmed in plenty of trouble. The Pakistan skipper unable to read the New Zealand spinner’s googlies. Survived one outside edge as the ball beat the first slip fielder but since then, two balls have come in and Sarfraz has almost been bowled by them

0855 hrs IST: FOUR DOWN! GONE! Another extremely soft dismissal and Pakistan are four down. Having taken two catches already, Kitchen now gets involved with a wicket of his own. Flighted just outside the off to Haris Sohail and the Pakistan batsman probably looked to clear the infield on the off side. But ends up playing into the hands of Bruce at cover. Sitter of a catch and it is held. 

0845 hrs IST: WOEFUL START FOR PAKISTAN! Mohammad Nawaz goes for 7 as Southee strikes once again. Another Pakistan batsman tried to clear the infield but fails. Nawaz sends his mistimed shot to Munro at mid-on. Pakistan are 15/3

0837 hrs IST: GONE! Two dismissals and two catches for Kitchen. This time Umar Amin is the Pakistan batsman to fall and Rance is the bowler. Pakistan thus lose both openers – this time to a glorious catch. Short of length delivery around off, Amin swung across and gets a top edge. It goes up in the air and Kitchen back-tracks to hold on. 

0834 hrs IST: GONE! Skipper for the day Tim Southee strikes on the third delivery. A little fuller outside off, Zaman goes hard at it and the face of the bat turns in his hands to mess up the timing. It has been sliced straight to Kitchen at cover. Zaman goes for 3

0830 hrs IST: Fakhar Zaman and Umar Amin to open for Pakistan and they make their way to the crease. Zaman to face the first ball. Rance with the ball for New Zealand

TOSS: New Zealand have won the toss and chosen to field first in Wellington. Big blow for New Zealand even before the first ball has been bowled. Kane Williamson has a side stiff and won’t play with Tim Southee stepping in as captain. 

TEAMS:

New Zealand XI: Martin Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Glenn Phillips(w), Tom Bruce, Ross Taylor, Anaru Kitchen, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee(c), Ish Sodhi, Seth Rance

Pakistan XI: Umar Amin, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz Ahmed(w/c), Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir, Rumman Raees