• Pakistan defeated New Zealand in the first T20I by 88 runs.

  • Haris Rauf was named Player of the Match for his excellent bowling performance.

Twitter reactions: Haris Rauf’s career-best show outshines Matt Henry’s hat-trick as Pakistan pip New Zealand in 1st T20I
Pakistan beat New Zealand in 1st T20I (Image Source: Twitter)

In a one-sided encounter, Pakistan comfortably defeated New Zealand by 88 runs in their first T20I match at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday, April 15.

Opting to bat first, the hosts set up a big total of 182 runs on the board. Pakistan’s batting was led by Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman, who scored 50 and 34 runs, respectively. The New Zealand bowlers struggled to contain the Pakistani batters, with Jimmy Neesham, Ish Sodhi, and Rachin Ravindra conceding 18, 34, and 9 runs, respectively.

New Zealand pacer Matt Henry pulled back things and was the main star for the touring party, taking a brilliant hat-trick. Henry dismissed Shadab Khan (47), Iftikhar Ahmed (0) and Shaheen Afridi (1) to accomplish the special achievement.

However, Henry’s effort was outshined by Haris Rauf as the latter produced a sensational bowling performance helping Pakistan pack the Black Caps for just 94 runs in 15.3 overs. Rauf, who was the standout performer, picked up four wickets for just 18 runs in his 3.3 overs. Afridi, Zaman Khan, Faheem Ashraf, and Shadab also contributed with one wicket each.

New Zealand’s batting failed to get going, with Mark Chapman (34) and Tom Latham (20) the only batters to offer some resistance.

Here is how Twitter reacted:

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AKSHAT GAUR
Akshat is the Sr. Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, Akshat has honed his skills over 6 years, working with various media outlets, publications, and organizations to deliver high-quality content that informs, educates, and entertains audiences. He is just another cricket fan who’s grown up watching the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Cricket runs in his veins. Cover drive is his favorite sight, and a ball meeting the middle of the bat is his favorite sound. You can write to him at akshat.gaur@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter, Facebook & Linkedin.