New Zealand won the third T20I against Pakistan by 45 runs in Dunedin on Wednesday, giving them a five-match series lead. Finn Allen scored 137 runs in 62 balls as New Zealand set Pakistan a difficult 225-run mark on Wednesday. In response, Babar Azam hit 58 off 37, his third consecutive fifty of the series, but it was insufficient to propel Pakistan over the line. Mitchell Santner had an efficient spell, taking one wicket for 26 runs in four overs.
New Zealand won the third T20I against Pakistan by 45 runs
Allen took Pakistan to the cleaners, scoring the greatest individual score for New Zealand in men’s T20Is, beating Brendon McCullum’s previous best of 123. He also has the joint-most sixes (16) in an innings in men’s T20Is. The opener was especially severe on Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf, hitting 27 in one over, including three sixes, two fours, and a single. Allen’s fast knock put New Zealand in a great position to win the five-match series with two games remaining and retain their unbeaten streak at Dunedin’s University Oval.
Following Devon Conway’s early exit for seven, Allen and Tim Seifert scored 125 for the second wicket, with Seifert contributing only 31 as he chose to take singles to keep the in-form batter on strike. The umpires had to call for new balls three times after Allen smashed them out of the park. The opener was ultimately dismissed in the 18th over by Zaman Khan with an off-cutter, and the New Zealand batsman was applauded as he exited the pitch. Both teams made three changes before the match.
Lockie Ferguson, Tim Seifert, and Mathew Henry replaced Kane Williamson, Adam Milne, and Ben Sears. Pakistan’s leg-spinner Usama Mir and all-rounder Aamer Jamal were left out, while pacer Abbas Afridi was sidelined with a low-grade abdominal wall muscle strain. Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Nawaz, and Zaman Khan replaced the aforementioned trio for Pakistan.
