Tim Seifert delivered a stunning 97-run knock as New Zealand dominated Pakistan in the final match of the five-game T20I series at Sky Stadium, Wellington, on Wednesday.
After winning the toss, New Zealand opted to field first and successfully restricted Pakistan to 128 runs in 20 overs.
The Black Caps made one change for the final encounter, bringing in Ben Sears for Zakary Foulkes. Pakistan, on the other hand, shuffled their lineup significantly, with Usman Khan and Omair Bin Yousuf bolstering the batting order, while Jahandad Khan, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Mohammad Ali featured in the bowling attack. Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Afridi, and Abrar Ahmed were left out.
Pakistan’s innings struggled early, as Mohammad Haris managed only 11 off 17 balls before being dismissed by Ben Sears. Omair Bin Yousuf (7) followed soon after, falling to Jacob Duffy, leaving Pakistan at 25-3 inside the powerplay. Despite Salman Ali Agha’s efforts to steady the innings, wickets continued to tumble. Vice-captain Shadab Khan provided some resistance, forming a 54-run partnership with Salman before James Neesham dismissed him for 28 off 20 balls.
New Zealand had already secured the series with a commanding performance in the fourth T20I, where they bowled out Pakistan for 105 while defending a massive 221-run target. The hosts wrapped up the five-match series with a 3-1 victory, further asserting their dominance in the final clash.