Friday, January 12, 2018

Boult takes five-for, Pakistan routed for 74 in huge loss

New Zealand 257 (Williamson 73, Taylor 52, Raees 3-51, Hasan 3-59) beat Pakistan 74 (Boult 5-17) by 183 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

They might be the current Champions Trophy holders, but over the last two years, Pakistan have conceded the highest score in the format's history - 444 at Edgbaston. Today, in Dunedin, they came perilously close to posting the lowest ODI score; it was very much on the cards when they reeled at 32 for 8. In a batting performance so listless that even New Zealand appeared to be embarrassed by the ease with which Pakistan's innings crumbled, the home side rubberstamped their superiority by bowling Pakistan out for 74, winning by a mammoth 183 runs.

Any semblance of a contest was blown to pieces by a sensational opening spell from Trent Boult, who made a mockery of the notion that it was a slow pitch on which bounce was difficult to extract. Azhar Ali was the first to fall. Granted a life two balls earlier, when Santner dropped one at cover, Azhar poked at one outside the off stump and gave first slip a straightforward grab.

Fakhar Zaman had been trying to cut Boult for much of an innings that was destined to be ephemeral. He eventually dragged on. With Hafeez then edging a catch to Ross Taylor at first slip, the contest was over, but the potential for humiliation had only just begun.

The records began to tumble; only on three other occasions since 2006 had a side made less than ten runs in the first Powerplay (Pakistan made 9 for 3 today); only once before had Pakistan lost six wickets for fewer than the 16 they managed today.

Suddenly, the lowest-ever ODI total - 35 - began to be threatened, as batsmen came - each appearing as clueless, as amateur as the last - and met the same fate.

Pakistan's ineptitude could spawn much cricketing literature, but New Zealand's magnificence is far worthier of attention. After Boult and Southee's brilliance, the change-up bowlers backed them up, their foot never leaving Pakistan's throat. There was excellent fielding to run out Babar Azam, whose bat got stuck in the pitch as he attempted to drag it over - an appropriate metaphor for the rut Pakistan have found themselves in since reaching New Zealand shores.

The captain Kane Williamson, whose "ugly" innings of 73 began to look prettier by the minute, also took a splendid catch, diving to his right to hold on with one hand. Sarfraz, who was forlornly going down with his ship, remained till the bitter end, watching as his partners came and went. Mohammad Amir flashed at a few deliveries, but the defeat was too chastening for any Pakistan fan to draw entertainment out of it.

The contest ended in the only way that was appropriate, Boult returning to clean up Hasan Ali with an excellent yorker to complete his five-wicket haul. It put Pakistan out of their misery, and gave New Zealand the series with two games remaining.

At the start of the game, the pitch had played far slower than most expected. In scrappy, turgid conditions for batting, New Zealand's batsmen showed patience and temperament, stringing together several excellent partnerships to put up 257.

Colin Munro and Martin Guptill began like they usually do, each striking a six within the first eight balls. But it soon became evident that that strategy wouldn't be sustainable.

Munro fell in the second over, having misjudged the pace and bounce of a delivery, lobbing it straight up to Sarfraz.

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