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Dubai: Opener Sarfraz Ahmed made a career best unbeaten 76 to guide Pakistan to a comfortable seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the first of two Twenty20 internationals in Dubai on Thursday. Chasing a modest 136-run target, Pakistan were lifted by Ahmed's 64-ball innings which had eight fours and two sixes as they completed the win in 19.1 overs for a 1-0 lead.
Ahmed added a quick 51 for the first wicket with Awais Zia who made 20 with two boundaries and then continued the good work with a dominating 43-run stand for the fourth wicket with Umar Akmal who made an unbeaten 24-ball 27. Akmal finished the match with a huge six off Jimmy Neesham.
In between Pakistan lost Mohammad Hafeez (two) and Haris Sohail (11) but Sarfraz kept one end intact and bettered his previous best of just five in his previous four Twenty20s.
New Zealand owed their total to a career best 37-ball 48 by Corey Anderson after they were put into bat on a flat Dubai stadium pitch. Anderson lifted his team from a precarious 15/3 with a 46-run stand for the fourth wicket with opener Martin Guptill (32) and another 51 for the fifth wicket with Luke Ronchi who made 33.
Anderson hit four towering sixes and a boundary, bettering his previous highest of 20 not out against the Netherlands in Chittagong earlier this year. New Zealand lost stand-in skipper Kane Williamson for a first-ball duck and Ross Taylor for just four.
Pakistan's two left-arm pacemen Sohail Tanvir (2/24) and Mohammad Irfan (2/27) shared the bowling honours. Shahid Afridi, Raza Hasan and Anwar Ali also took a wicket each.
New Zealand were without their regular skipper Brendon McCullum who along with paceman Trent Boult and Tim Southee left for home after the drawn 1-1 Test series. The second and final Twenty20 will also be played in Dubai on Friday.
The teams also play a five-match one-day series following the two T20Is, the first of which will be played in Dubai on Monday.
Earliier, Pakistan have won the toss and have opted to field.
Mohammad Irfan and Anwar Ali back in Pakistan squad.
Teams:
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Awais Zia, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Haris Sohail, Shahid Afridi (Capt.), Saad Nasim, Anwar Ali, Sohail Tanvir, Raza Hasan, Mohammad Irfan
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (Capt.), Martin Guptill, Anton Devcich, Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi (wk), James Neesham, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Mitchell McClenaghan
Brief scores:
New Zealand - 135/7 (Anderson 48, Ronchi 33, Tanvir 2-24, Irfan 2-27)
Pakistan - 140/3 (Sarfraz 76*)
Result - Pakistan won by 7 wickets.
