James Neesham showed his all-round skills against Pakistan in the recent T20I series
The international cricket fans were treated to a remarkable comeback from New Zealand after being two down in the series as they levelled the series 2-2 after a scintillating show in Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Mark Chapman remained the showstopper for the visitors throughout as he hammered a magnificent century in the final encounter to script victory. Chasing down a target of 194 runs is never an easy target but the man in form made sure that the Kiwis move forward with pride.
Chapman was not only awarded the Player of the Match award but also the Player of the Series award for his stupendous effort. Crucial performances from James Neesham, Matt Henry, and Blair Tickner helped their side stop the juggernaut of the home team.
Let us take a look at the performances of New Zealand players in the T20I series:
Batters
Tom Latham (5/10): New Zealand skipper Tom Latham was not at his best in the series as he could only score 116 runs in 5 games. Being an experienced batsman, Latham had all the responsibility to showcase his talent but the southpaw performed average.
His only good knock came in the 3rd T20I where he scored 64 runs off just 49 deliveries including seven boundaries and two maximums. Latham showed his captaincy skills and took some bold decisions in the batting order, however, some classic displays from the players should be credited for this successful series.
Chad Bowes (4/10): With just 107 runs in five matches, Chad Bowes got starts on a few occasions but the 30-year-old couldn’t convert it into a big knock. His only half-century came in the 4th T20I which unfortunately got washed out in the end.
The journey is still new for Bowes as he will surely get better from here. Playing in Pakistan during his initial career is not an easy task due to the rough pitches but Bowed showed some promise with the bat.
Will Young (1.5/10): It was a terrible series for Will Young as the batter could only score 38 runs in five matches. There was not even a single game where Young looked comfortable as he struggled on every outing.
So far, he has played just 13 T20Is and the 30-year-old would like to learn from this series in order to get better from here.
Daryl Mitchell (4/10): Daryl Mitchell is an experienced T20 player who has been terrific for his side on a number of occasions, however, he failed badly in the series against Pakistan with only 71 runs in five matches.
Mitchell batted well in the 3rd T20I and helped his side win the game but overall his performance was quite ordinary. It was a good chance for him to bring in his experience, however, a couple of teammates did the job for the side in the end. Going forward, Mitchell would like to perform well in the shortest format of the game to remain in contention.
Mark Chapman (10/10): The showstopper of the series, Mark Chapman was the lone warrior for New Zealand in terms of batting. The positive result in the series became possible only because of his heroics on a couple of occasions.
Mark Chapman scored a brilliant ton in the final ODI to script a phenomenal victory
Chapman’s brilliant knock in the second match went in vain after Pakistan posted a huge total on the board. He came back strongly in the fourth T20I with another superb knock of 71 off just 42, however, the game got washed out.
It was the fifth T20I where the Kiwis were chasing 194 and this time Chapman made his innings count after scoring a scintillating ton in a tough situation. He scored 104 runs off just 57 deliveries with the help of 11 fours and four maximums. It was his effort only that helped Balckcaps square the series.
All-Rounders
James Neesham (7/10): James Neesham played four matches in the series and he made it count on almost every occasion. The experienced all-rounder had a great outing in the third and fifth match where he helped his side become victorious.
With the willow, Neesham was ordinary throughout, however, his partnership with Chapman in the last match was crucial in taking New Zealand to a glorious victory. He scored 45 runs off just 25 balls with the help of some big hits.
On the bowling front, Neesham picked up five wickets with the best spell came in the third match which helped the Kiwis steal a brilliant victory. He picked up 3 wickets in the match by giving away 38 runs in his 4 overs.
Rachin Ravindra (3.5/10): The young left-arm orthodox bowler has been a crucial part of New Zealand since his debut but the 23-year-old did not impress much. A good show was expected from Ravindra keeping in mind the turning turfs in Pakistan but the bowling all-rounder could only pick up three wickets.
His average was also on the higher side with around 30. Ravindra got chances to prove his worth with the bat, however, the southpaw failed to deliver by scoring just 23 runs in four innings.
Cole McConchie (4/10): With just one match to his name, McConchie did not get enough balls to showcase his talent but he smashed a couple of boundaries and scored 12 before getting out. Even on the bowling front, Latham just gave him one over where he spent 9 runs with no wicket.
To get the best out of cricketers, one needs to give them chances and McConchie would now look to get a chance in the ODI series so that he can be the one on whom the skipper can rely.
Bowlers
Matt Henry (8.5/10): Matt Henry was one bowler who impressed in this series with 6 wickets at an average of less than 15. He picked up the most wickets for New Zealand and with the next one being Neesham. What made Henry earn this much score is because of his remarkable hat trick in the 1st T20I. Though Pakistan went on to win the match, it was Henry who was being applauded after the cracking game.
Matt Henry picked up a hat trick in the first T20I against Pakistan
Henry was economical as well when it comes to other Kiwi bowlers as he spent runs with an economy of 7.33 which is not bad in a T20 format. The right-arm fast-medium bowler would want to continue his good show in the upcoming ODI series as well.
Adam Milne (5/10): Adam Milne is one of the most experienced players in the setup right now. He proved to be way too expensive and picked up only four wickets throughout the entire series.
Milne is a much better bowler than his performance and has made Blackcaps victorious on many occasions. Moreover, his addition to the side brings a lot of confidence to the young players. He would surely want to bring the best out of himself with the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup around the corner.
Ish Sodhi (3.5/10): It was kind of a surprise as spinners were ineffective on sub-continent pitches. Ish Sodhi is one of the top names in the world when it comes to spin and the right-arm leggie could only pick up three wickets.
Though his average was better than Ravindra, Sodhi was still ordinary in his outings. The experienced spinner would like to make a comeback in the ODI series now.
Ben Lister (2/10): Ben Lister was another name that did not impress in this series. He picked up just two wickets by giving away 82 runs in the series. Lister played three matches and bowled with an average of 41.
It is still a new journey for the left-arm pacer and he would want to work on his lengths to be a better T20 bowler. Lister is a part of the ODI series as well and he would want to make his ODI debut a memorable one if given a chance.
Blair Tickner (8/10): Blair Tickner played only one match in the series and he took three crucial wickets for his team. He sent back Babar Azam, Mohammad Harris, and Iftikhar Ahmed in the final T20I to help his team win a glorious encounter.
Undoubtedly, it was Chapman with the bat who did the job for the Kiwis but one cannot forget Tickner’s great spell in the match.
Henry Shipley (0.5/10): Henry Shipley went wicketless in the series in the three matches he played. One of the games was washed out but the other two proved to be very expensive for Shipley.
The 26-year-old just made his international debut earlier this year and it is understood that he will take a bit of time to adjust. He is a part of the ODI series too and he can’t get a better chance than this to prove his worth in the limited-overs format.
