Pakistan vs New Zealand 2014-15, 2nd ODI at Sharjah: Kane Williamson’s fifty and other highlights
Pakistan vs New Zealand 2014, 2nd ODI: Highlights
New Zealand outclassed Pakistan in the second One-Day International at Sharjah, to draw level in the five-match series. Amit Banerjee reflects on some of the key moments from the game, including New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson’s unbeaten 12th ODI half-century.
New Zealand get the early breakthroughs: The duo of Matt Henry and Mitchell McClenaghan were on a roll from the outset, removing opener Ahmed Shehzad, Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq within the span of six overs, reducing the hosts to a score of 20 for the loss of three wickets.
Mohammad Hafeez leads the fight back: Opening batsman rallied with the middle-order to lead the rescue effort for his side. Hafeez added 77 runs for the fourth-wicket with all-rounder Haris Sohail (33). He added another 66 runs for the fifth-wicket with skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, before finally being dismissed for a neatly constructed 76. His knock included nine boundaries and a six.
Pakistan cross the 250-run mark: While Henry was the leading Kiwi bowler with figures of four for 45, it was McClenaghan and pacer Adam Milne who did bulk of the damage at the fag end of the Pakistan innings. Pakistan were in danger of being knocked over for less than 200 at one stage, But a timely cameo from Shahid Afridi and a resolute 23 from Sarfraz Ahmed ensured that the hosts surpass the psychological barrier of 250.
Dean Brownlie and Anton Devcich lay solid foundation: The opening Pair of Brownlie and Devicich ensured that the Kiwis were never behind the eight ball. The duo stitched a partnership of 103 in 110 balls .The pace of their partnership proved to be a cushion for the middle and lower order. In the process, the pair also broke the first wicket voodoo as it was the first time in three years that New Zealand have added hundred or more runs for the opening wicket in ODIs.
Haris Sohail restores balance in the match: The Pakistan all-rounder, who batted superbly in the previous ODI to guide Pakistan to a hard-fought victory, swung the pendulum in his team’s favour, with the ball this time around. He accounted for the three important wickets of Ross Taylor, Tom Latham and Corey Anderson, all of whom could have taken New Zealand home had they settled into the crease.
Kane Williamson plays a captain’s knock: The New Zealand skipper played the anchor of the New Zealand chase towards the middle and the later overs. Williamson added a vital 58-run partnership with Luke Ronchi, a stand that helped the Kiwis recover from the blows inflicted by Sohail during the middle-overs. Ronchi departed on a score of 36 from 32 balls, courtesy a brilliant catch by Sohail Tanvir at long-off. Williamson remained unbeaten on a score of 70 from 91 balls, scoring seven boundaries in the process, as New Zealand overhauled their target with four wickets and as many overs to spare. The winning moment for New Zealand was temporarily marred by Shahid Afridi’s decision to go for a review for a leg-before appeal, with the hawk-eye later showing the delivery to be missing Daniel Vettori’s off-stump.
(Amit Banerjee, a reporter at CricketCountry, takes keen interest in photography, travelling, technology, automobiles, food and, of course, cricket. He can be followed on Twitter via his handle @akb287)