Can't clear the boundary and he's out! Length ball in the channel, Rauf shuffles across and looks to heave it over the on-side, ends up splicing it and it's safely gobbled up at cow corner. Neesham keeps his cool and New Zealand have won by four runs.
Pakistan vs New Zealand, 3rd T20I at Lahore, PAK v NZ, Apr 17 2023 - Ball by Ball Commentary
That's it from ESPNcricinfo's coverage of the third T20I. We hope you enjoyed our watch. Don't forget to join us again on Thursday when these two sides will be back in action at Rawalpindi. Until then, it's goodbye and goodnight from Momin and the rest of the crew.
Tom Latham: It was a great game of cricket. We were pleased to get a competitive total on the board and it's satisfying to get across the line and keep the series alive. I think the whole squad will take a lot of confidence from this match moving forward. What set up the win for us was the three early wickets in the powerplay that I thought pegged them back slightly. Sodhi and Ravindra were superb for us through the middle phases. It was very nice to contribute at the top of the order [on his 64 off 49] and make full use of the powerplay. We pride ourselves on our fielding and keep the bar high everytime we set foot into the middle.
Tom Latham has been awarded the Player of the Match award
Babar Azam: I think we didn't bat well enough tonight. We kept losing wicket at crucial stages because of which the pressure kept building throughout the run-chase. We have kept our batting order flexible [on Iftikhar's demotion tonight]. Iftikhar delivered tonight and Faheem also chipped in with crucial runs. Our bowlers have been superb throughout this series, so far, and they have executed most of the plans.
Presentations coming up, stick around
Tautoru: "Finally NZ wins v Pakistan. That's rare because Pakistan are so good v NZ. Great game, hard fought by both. "
Bob: "Kiwi fan here. Stunning innings from Iftikhar, should be player of the match. Can't fathom why he wasn't batting higher. Very relieved it didn't go to a super over"
Kalpesh : "These are kind of the games till you don't know the result till the last ball country does not matter."
12.55pm: Woof, what an enthralling finish we have had to the match with New Zealand squeezing past Pakistan by a bare margin. Much like their opposition, Pakistan commenced their innings sluggishly. Both Babar and Rizwan were dismissed inside the powerplay and Fakhar and Saim couldn't hang around for long either. Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals throughout the middle overs and looked down for the count at 92/7 after 15 overs. Iftikhar and Faheem then stringed together a brilliant 61-run partnership as they took down the likes of Milne and Neesham to keep them in the game. Iftikhar struck a blistering 24-ball 60 but his herculean effort couldn't carry Pakistan across the line as they fell agonizingly short by 4 runs. Neesham did well to cover up for the injured Lister and to keep Iftikhar at bay in the last over while the spin-bowling duo of Ravindra and Sodhi as well as Milne also chipped in with crucial wickets.
Amir Ali: "Shaheen giving those 5 extra runs and Naseem Shah swinging for 3 balls for nothing where all was just required to tak single and give strike to Iftikhar proved costly, but a well fought match nonetheless."
Anwar: "Brilliant game, but New Zealand the worthy winners. Pakistan didn't deserve to win after leaving their best batsman Iftikhar at the bottom"
Rashid : "Well played iftikhar. Nz were strong to win this until iffy masterclass inning. Congrats to kiwis they put up good show tonight "
5 needed off the last ball
Shortish delivery, just outside off, Rauf swings off his feet but the ball sneaks through to the keeper
Haris Rauf is the last man in
Neesham strikes back! What a breakthrough this is for New Zealand. Another full delivery from Neesham, was right in the arc for Iftikhar to loft it over but the blade twirls in his hand as he holes out to long-on. A swashbuckling effort from his comes to a close with Pakistan still requiring 5 off 2.
Crashed for four! Neesham serves up a low full-toss just outside off, Iftikhar gets low to get underneath it and absolutely bludgeons it to the left of long-off.
Drags it further outside off, Iftikhar throws his bat at it and fails to connect
Smoked for six more! Woof, that's a shot and a half. Walks across and just helps it over the deep square leg boundary. The connection on that was just sublime
So, it's down to Iftikhar. Neesham has been handed the ball with Lister off the field. 15 needed off 6. Neesham going round the wicket.
Hard length again, Naseem hangs back and swings but cannot get any bat on this one either
Shortish, homing into his helmet, Naseem shuffles across and tries to smear it into the leg-side, gets beaten again
Length delivery, wide outside off, tries to guide it fine but gets beaten
Naseem Shah in now, Pakistan needing 15 off 9
Another twist in this fascinating tale
And gone! Henry gets his man this time. Low full-toss on the stumps, Faheem stoops low to get underneath but cannot get the right elevation as he smokes it straight down long-on's throat.
Pulled away with disdain! Henry comes round the wicket now and bangs it in short, Faheem maintains a stable base and swipes it sublimely over the deep midwicket fielder. Pakistan exclusively dealing in boundaries at the moment
Fuller length, angling across, Faheem leaves it alone for the keeper to collect as it's way outside off and adjudged as wide
Fuller delivery, wide outside off, leans into a well-timed square drive to bring up a magnificent fifty off just 20 balls
Henry to bowl his last, Pakistan needing 23 off 12
Pakistan have come roaring back into the contest with a 23-run over
Lambasted over cow corner! Faheem now joins the party as he climbs into this gentle-paced short delivery by Milne and sends it high and handsome over the deep leg-side boundary.
Slower delivery wide outside off, tries to glide it away but fails to connect
Shortish ball, outside off, dabbed away into the offside for one
16 runs from the first three
Hammered over deep midwicket! Another attempted yorker that turns into a leg-stump full-toss, Iftikhar is seeing it like a football and clobbers it into the on-side. It sails way over the deep midwicket fielder.
Four more! Slower delivery, wide outside off, Iftikhar waits for it to arrive and glides it expertly with an open-faced blade to the right of the wicketkeeper.
Hoicked away for six! Milne offers a gimme on the pads, a juicy full-toss that Iftikhar gleefully accepts as he walks across and helps it over the deep backward square boundary for a gigantic six
Milne to bowl his last with 46 runs needed off 18
Shortish, wide outside off, cracks his cut shot but there is protection at deep point
Over 20 • PAK 159/10