Earlier, New Zealand recovered from early blows thanks to solid knocks from Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson to post a fighting 152/4 in 20 overs. Shaheen Acrid struck in the first over to remove danger man Finn Allen on 4 before Devon Conway was run out on 21. Glenn Phillips was then removed cheaply on 6 before Williamson then joined forces with Mitchell with the duo adding 68 runs for the fourth wicket. Williamson was out on 46 while Mitchell remained unbeaten on 53. Acrid took 2/24 while Mohammad Na Wac took 1/12.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson opted to bat first at the Sydney Cricket Ground after winning the toss. Both the teams are unchanged for this semi-final, with Pakistan captain Ba bar Adam saying he would have chosen to bat first as well. Williamson says his it’s a used surface, no grass, but said his players will have to adjust quickly. Ba bar called for calmness and said his team is quite confidence and hoping to ride the winning momentum.
In the enthralling semi-final clash of the ICC T20 World Cup, Group 2 toppers New Zealand will clash against the unpredictable Pakistan side on Wednesday. Both sides have endured diametrically opposite roads to the knockout stages.
The Kiwis thrashed hosts and defending champions Australia in their tournament opener. They followed it up with impressive wins against Sri Lanka and Ireland. Their only setback came against England in a closely contested match. Kane Williamson and his men still look in top form and are one of the most balanced sides in the tournament. Heading into their seventh semi-final in white ball cricket, New Zealand will want to go all the way and lift the trophy this time around.
Pakistan’s campaign began with a heartbreaking loss to India in at a jam-packed Melbourne Cricket Ground. They were bamboozled in their very next match as underdogs Zimbabwe thumped them too. But the Ba bar Azalea side turned their fortunes around by winning the rest of their matches, including a rain-affected triumph against South Africa. The Protean shocking defeat against the Netherlands in their last match of the Super 12 stage paved the way for Pakistan into the semi-finals.
Pakistan Enter Final
Pakistan produced their best for the semi-finals as they defeated favorites New Zealand in the first semi-final on Wednesday to qualify for the final of the T20 World Cup for the first time since 2009 when they lifted the trophy. The pair of Ba bar Adam and Mohammad Rizal fired in unison in a century stand, with each hitting a half-century to set the base for a seven-wicket win. Ba bar exited after hitting 53 while Rizal made 57 as Pakistan chased down 153 in 19.1 overs to complete a remarkable turnaround. After opting to bat first, New Zealand lost both their openers inside the Power play and then the danger man Glenn Phillips too fell cheaply. Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell then led the recovery with a 68-run partnership before being separated. Williamson was dismissed on 46, but Mitchell remained unbeaten on 53 off 35 to push New Zealand to a decent 152/4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. However, Pakistan made a superb start, with their opening pair adding 105 runs. Mohammad Harris then struck 30 off 26 to all but end New Zealand’s hopes.
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