Nawaz, Haider cameos fire Pakistan to title

Pakistan 168 for 5 (Nawaz 38*, Rizwan 34, Bracewell 2-14) beat New Zealand 163 for 7 (Williamson 59, Rauf 2-22, Naseem 2-38) by five wickets

Christchurch: Mohammad Nawaz's unbeaten knock of 38 helped Pakistan defeat New Zealand by five wickets in the tri-series final at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Friday.

This victory for Pakistan before the T20 World Cup is going to boost their morale.

Haider Ali scored 31 runs in 15 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes and Mohammad Nawaz played an unbeaten knock of 38 off 22 balls.

Apart from this, Iftikhar Ahmed also played an innings of 25 not out off 14 balls.

Chasing a target of 164, Pakistan got off to a decent start as their openers Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam scored 28 runs under 4 overs.

However, Michael Bracewell sent Azam back to the pavilion after scoring just 15 runs off 14 deliveries.

Shan Masood then came out to bat on the crease, but was unable to make a big score and departed for 19 runs.

Michael Bracewell bagged his second wicket of the innings as he dismissed Masood in the 11th over of the innings and in the very next over, Ish Sodhi dismissed Mohammad Rizwan.

The 56-run partnership stand for the fourth wicket between Haider Ali and Mohammad Nawaz came to an end in the 16th over as Tim Southee removed Ali.

Nawaz continued the carnage as he hammered Ish Sodhi for 25 runs, smashing three sixes.

Pakistan lost two wickets putting the hosts under some pressure.

Nawaz took the equation down to 11 runs from 12 balls.

In the last over of the match the Men in Green only needed four runs and Iftikhar Ahmed closed the match with a huge six to lift the T20 Tri-Series trophy.

Earlier, captain Kane Williamson played a magnificent knock of 59 as New Zealand posted a total of 163/7 in 20 overs against Pakistan in the final of the tri-series.