NZ win a humdinger, clinch series 2-1

By Rahul Bajaj
for Cricketain.com

Published: November 10, 2009

commentComment     Email This Post Email This Post     Printable version

Abu Dhabi: New Zealand survived a scary last wicket partnership of 103 runs between Mohammad Aamer and Saeed Ajmal to win the third and final one-dayer against Pakistan and with it clinch the series 2-1.

Pakistan were all but finished in the game after having lost 9 wickets, with just 101 runs on the board while chasing 212 for a win, but rookie Mohammad Aamer (73 not out) and Saeed Ajmal (33) put together a record last wicket stand to bring Pakistan within touching distance of an improbable win before Saeed Ajmal holed out to Kyle Mills at long leg off the bowling of Jacob Oram, giving New Zealand a 7 run victory.

Mohammad Aamer, 17, also earned the distinction of the highest individual score by a number 10 batsman. The previous highest one-day score for a number ten batsman was 56 not out, made by Zimbabwe’s Douglas Marillier against India at New Delhi in 2002.

Earlier, Daniel Vettori won the toss and opted to bat first. Brendan McCullum, who scored a brilliant century in the second match, was the stand out performer once again scoring an aggressive 78 ball 76 which included six fours and three sixes. Once McCullum was dismissed, caught and bowled by Shoaib Malik, the Kiwis completely lost their way with the Pakistan spinners triggering a middle order collapse during which New Zealand lost their last 7 wickets for just 47 runs.

It was paceman Umar Gul who got the initial breakthrough for Pakistan, removing opener Aaron Redmond caught off Aamir for 21. This was Gul’s 100th wicket in 67 one-day internationals. Ajmal then came into his own, removing Martin Guptill (eight), Ross Taylor (44), Daniel Vettori (15) and Jacob Oram (two) to improve on his best one-day figures of 2-16 against the West Indies at Johannesburg in September this year. He ended with figures of 4-33 off 10 overs.

Chasing a modest total of 212 to win the game and the series, Pakistan got off to a solid start with the openers, Salman Butt and Khalid Latif, adding 47 runs in 8.2 overs. Vettori got the breakthrough for the Kiwis trapping Latif in front of the wickets in the ninth over. That wicket started a slump which saw Pakistan going from 47-1 to 101-9.

When Ajmal joined Aamer, Pakistan needed a mammoth-looking 112 runs in 16.5 overs, but Aamir set the tempo for an unexpected win by hitting Daniel Vettori for three sixes in one over. Slowly and gradually, he and Ajmal consolidated the innings, inching closer to the target with every over, beating the previous tenth wicket partnership record by Pakistan in all one-day of 72 by Abdul Razzaq and Waqar Younis against South Africa at Durban in 1998 in the process.

Aamir, who hit seven boundaries and three sixes during his 81-ball knock, improved on his previous highest score of 24 made against Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Eventually it was New Zealand who managed to keep their nerves to take the final wicket of Saeed Ajmal and bowl Pakistan out for 204 thus winning the match by 7 runs. Jacob Oram was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand returning with figures of 3 for 20 off 9.1 overs. Tim Southee also impressed with figures of 2 for 26 off 10 overs.

Both teams now move to Dubai where they play two Twenty20 matches on November 12 and 13.

Brief Scores:

New Zealand 211 (McCullum 76, Ajmal 4-33) beat Pakistan 204 (Aamer 73*, Oram 3-20) by seven runs

Man of the Match: Mohammad Aamer

Man of the Series: Brendan McCullum

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,


WPSN comments

7 Comments on "NZ win a humdinger, clinch series 2-1"

  1. sunglasses shop on Sat, 5th Jun 2010 5:17 am 

    Thans

    for the nice post.

  2. electronic cig on Mon, 7th Jun 2010 12:37 pm 

    I enjoy reading the report, too. It′s easy to understand that a journey like this is the biggest event in ones

    life.

  3. Christian Louboutin on Sat, 12th Jun 2010 10:40 am 

    Great sharing this.

  4. Wholesale sunglasses on Mon, 14th Jun 2010 10:53 am 

    Thank you very much.

  5. Cheap Insurance Quotes on Thu, 17th Jun 2010 2:42 am 

    I NEED THIS INFOMATION.

  6. mbt tataga on Sun, 11th Jul 2010 8:19 am 

    This is the third time I came to your blog, I like your blog very much, hope your more good posts.

  7. mbt tataga on Sun, 11th Jul 2010 3:01 pm 

    Very useful post. Bookmarked. Thanks for it!




Related News Headlines

Cricketain Latest