De Grandhomme blitz takes New Zealand to 4-0

MATCH CENTRE

Colin de Grandhomme's 40-ball 74 helped New Zealand put up another commanding show and win the fourth One-day International against Pakistan in Hamilton. With this win, New Zealand have extended their lead to 4-0 in the five-match series. Chasing 263 for victory, the home side won by five wickets with four overs to spare.

Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss at Seddon Park and chose to bat. Tim Southee got the early wickets of Faheem Ashraf and Babar Azam by getting them caught behind by wicketkeeper Tom Latham.

Four Pakistani batsmen made half-centuries at different points in the game as wickets fell around them. Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail led Pakistan's recovery after the loss of early wickets while Sarfraz Ahmed combined with Mohammad Hafeez – who scored an 80-ball 81 – to help Pakistan cross 200.

Sohail and Zaman put on 86-runs for the third wicket while Hafeez and Sarfraz added 98 runs for the sixth wicket. Pakistan finished at 262/8 in their 50 overs.

For New Zealand, Southee picked up three wickets while captain Kane Williamson picked up two while bowling his full quota of 10 overs. Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner got one wicket each.

Williamson and Mitchell Santner gave away only 75 runs in 20 overs and slowed Pakistan's scoring rate in the process.

In response, Martin Guptill and Colin Munro (56 off 42) got New Zealand off to a solid start, putting up an 88-run opening stand before Shadab Khan dismissed both the openers.

Those two wickets lead to a mini-collapse wherein the hosts lost four wickets for just 11 runs. Ross Taylor, playing his 200th ODI, was trapped in front by Rumman Raees. Tom Latham was caught behind by Babar Azam in the slips off Shadab.

Just when it looked like Pakistan’s spinners would have the upper edge, Williamson and Henry Nicholls put on 55 runs for the fifth wicket before Williamson was caught by Raees off the bowling of Haris Sohail.

That left New Zealand at 154 for 5 in 35 overs and they still needed 109 runs from 15 overs.

Thereafter, a blistering innings from Colin de Grandhomme changed the complexion of the game completely as he combined with Nicholls to knock over these runs in just 10.5 overs. With five sixes and seven fours, Grandhomme raced away to 74 from 40 deliveries while sharing a 108-run partnership with Nicholls, who made his own half-century from 70 balls.

For Pakistan, Shadab Khan was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets from his 10 overs while Raees and Sohail got a wicket each.

For his efforts with the bat, de Grandhomme was adjudged the Player of the Match. The final match of the series will be played in Wellington on 19 January.