CHRISTCHURCH: Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips combined to steer New Zealand to a seven-wicket win over Pakistan in the fourth Twenty20 international in Christchurch on Friday, placing them on the verge of a series clean sweep.
The Black Caps pair scored unbeaten half-centuries in a 139-run stand as the home side reached 159-3 in the 19th over in response to Pakistan’s 158-5.
They were forced to mount a rearguard action after Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi knocked over New Zealand’s top order, reducing them to 3-20 in the third over.
Mitchell scored 72 off 44 balls and Phillips 70 off 52, accelerating over the closing stages to complete victory with 11 balls to spare, having begun their partnership in a cautious fashion.
Big-hitting allrounder Mitchell said the first priority was seeing off the immediate threat of Afridi, before the pair set themselves targets.
“The way Shaheen swung it up top made it challenging so we had to take it as deep as we could,” Mitchell said.
“It’s about biding your time and building a partnership through to that 10-12 over mark and then keep trying to put pressure on them.
“We have different strengths and like to hit the ball to different areas, it’s good fun batting with him.”
New Zealand can wrap up the series 5-0 in Sunday’s final match at the same Hagley Oval venue.
Pakistan paid for their inability to support opening batter Mohammad Rizwan, who crafted an unbeaten 90 off 63 balls to dominate his side’s innings.
Rizwan found ways to keep the score ticking over against a disciplined New Zealand attack, led by seamers Matt Henry (2-22) and Lockie Ferguson (2-27).
The 31-year-old at times threatened to reach his second T20 international century in an innings that featured a relatively low percentage of boundaries: six fours and two sixes.
Allrounder Mohammad Nawaz was the only other player to surpass 20 runs, whacking pace bowler Adam Milne for three successive sixes in his final over to post 21 off nine balls.
Babar Azam, who scored half-centuries in each of the first three games, fell for 19 when he skied an attempted pull off Milne in the seventh over.
Pace bowler Afridi had Pakistan right in the contest when he knocked over Finn Allen, Tim Seifert and Will Young cheaply and finished with figures of 3-34.
Allen’s wicket was particularly cherished following the opener’s sensational 137 in game three on Wednesday.
However, Mitchell and Phillips gradually pulled momentum back in New Zealand’s favor and Pakistan potentially blew their last chance at victory when Sahibzada Farhan dropped a straightforward chance in the deep offered by Mitchell in the 14th over.
Afridi said a good score would have been 170 and believed Pakistan shortcomings were then exposed in the field after his own lethal opening spell.
“The way we started was very good but unfortunately again in the middle overs we didn’t grab our opportunities,” Afridi said.
New Zealand chase down Pakistan to win fourth T20 international
https://arab.news/96m2e
New Zealand chase down Pakistan to win fourth T20 international
- Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips combined to steer New Zealand to a seven-wicket win
- Black Caps pair scored unbeaten half-centuries in 139-run stand as home side reached 159-3
Detry, LIV Golf veteran Uihlein share first-round lead in Riyadh
- Detry, the newest full-time member of 4Aces GC, shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club
RIYADH: Thomas Detry admitted feeling “a bit nervous” entering his LIV Golf debut on Wednesday.
So did Elvis Smylie, another of the league’s newcomers, but their opening-round performances under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club showed they are both ready to make some serious noise this season.
Detry, the newest full-time member of 4Aces GC, shot a bogey-free seven-under 65 to grab a share of the ROSHN Group LIV Golf Riyadh lead with LIV Golf veteran Peter Uihlein of RangeGoats GC.
Smylie, the 23-year-old rising star who joined the all-Australian Ripper GC, carded a 66 that left him in solo third. The two were among 10 players — eight full-timers and two reserves — playing their first-ever LIV Golf rounds.
Byeong Hun An, the new captain of Korean Golf Club, also sparkled in his debut, shooting 67 to join a group of six players tied for fourth. HyFlyers GC’s Michael La Sasso shot 69 in his pro debut as the league’s youngest player at age 21.
Torque GC grabbed the team lead at 15 under, with the all-South African Southern Guards GC two shots behind. Defending Riyadh champions and reigning LIV Golf Team Champions Legion XIII are in solo third at 11 under.
Detry and Smylie each hit 10 fairways, tying for best in the field, while Detry also was tied for the lead in greens in regulation, hitting 17 of 18. He prepared for playing at night by practicing under the lights with his coach in Abu Dhabi.
“First day on the job, so a little bit of a change for me, so a bit nervous,” said the Belgian, whose most recent win was in February last year on the PGA Tour. “I drove it so well out there, it made my job pretty easy.”
Smylie suffered a bogey on his second hole before finding his rhythm. Five of his seven birdies came on par fours, tying new Smash GC Captain Talor Gooch for most by any other player on Wednesday.
“I think there were a little bit of nerves and excitement, but I think I showed what I’m capable of today, or tonight, I should say,” Smylie said.
While Detry and Smylie were making their first LIV Golf starts, Uihlein was embarking on start number 51 as one of eight original players who have started every tournament since LIV Golf debuted in London in 2022.
He remains in search of his first LIV Golf win, although he won two International Series events on the Asian Tour in 2024. Those were each 72-hole tournaments, and Uihlein hopes LIV Golf’s format switch from 54 holes to 72 starting this season will prove beneficial to him.
“I’m not scared of a blowup every now and then on a hole in particular, so now I have more holes to make it up,” Uihlein said. “I think it’s going to benefit me long-term, which is nice.”
Gooch is among the group lurking at five under. He has won four individual titles and the 2023 season-long Individual Championship, all in the previous 54-hole format. He and the other veteran LIV Golf players have had to adjust their mindset.
“Definitely has a totally different vibe,” Gooch said.
“Only 18 more holes, it’s not that vastly different. But even on the range when we were about to go, I was giving everybody a little fist bump and said, ‘Let’s go get it,’ and Harold (Varner III, his new Smash teammate) said, ‘Hey, don’t come out the gate sprinting. It’s not a sprint anymore.’”
It remains serious business, though, especially with a bevy of newcomers in the expanded 57-player field determined to make a quick impression even while getting used to LIV Golf’s energetic tournament days.
“I think even with the concerts and the entertainment outside of the golf, that’s something that I’m really enjoying,” Smylie said. “I feel like I’m really thriving in an environment like that, and it’s great to start my LIV career here in Riyadh.”
