- 25 Apr 2024 - 18:44(18:44 GMT)
Goodbye for now
That’s it from our live coverage of the fourth T20 international between Pakistan and New Zealand.
The tourists take a 2-1 lead into the final game of the series on Saturday following a four-run victory in Lahore.
Tim Robinson and Fakhar Zaman both scored fifties with the latter top scoring in the match with 61.
Abbas Afridi claimed the best bowling with 3-20 but Will O’Rourke was named Player of the Match for his 3-27 as he picked up Babar Azam, Saim Ayub and Iftikhar Ahmed.
We’ll be back with live coverage of the the final match of the series on Saturday.
The live action is not done on Thursday, however, as our text commentary of Brighton against Manchester City is already under way and you can pick up the game here.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 18:28(18:28 GMT)
Azhar Mahmood highlights where Pakistan went wrong
“First of all, New Zealand played a very good game,” the Pakistan coach told the official broadcaster.
“We hit more boundaries than them and we bowled more dot balls than them.
“But we bowled 12 extras – two more overs.
“They were 93-1 and to restrict them to 178 was another positive.”
- 25 Apr 2024 - 18:26(18:26 GMT)
New Zealand skipper praises Pakistan bowlers
Michael Bracewell told the post-match ceremony that the young squad is learning fast in Pakistan as they took a 2-1 series lead.
“The way that we are able to learn from game-to-game is hugely important,” he said.
“You lean a lot about some of those young guys at the end there.
“The Pakistan bowlers bowled well at the death and restricted us to par.
“The way we started got us ahead of the game and we weren’t quite able to execute and get above 200 at the end but a lot of credit to the Pakistan bowled.
“It’s a huge positive for us to expose guys to different conditions.”
- 25 Apr 2024 - 18:19(18:19 GMT)
Pakistan captain Babar Azam was happy with the bowling
Babar Azam told the post-match ceremony that he was “happy with the bowling” but felt the batting let down the side.
The Pakistan skipper added that it is all experience before the T20 World Cup.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 18:14(18:14 GMT)
Will O’Rourke is named Player of the Match
The right-arm seamer took 3-27.
“We really saw them go to the slower ball a lot and we were trying to mix that in as much as possible,” O’Rourke told the post-match ceremony.
“The new ball was skidding on nicely and we got off to a good start with the bat, they took the pace off and it was more difficult.
“We are all learning together at the moment. We try to learn every match and get better.”
- 25 Apr 2024 - 18:11(18:11 GMT)
This one is going to the wire
The final game of the series is in Lahore once again and we’ll bring you the live coverage on Saturday.
New Zealand lead the series 2-1.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 18:05(18:05 GMT)
Pakistan had the leading batter and bowler but lost
Abbas Afridi was the best bowler with 3-20 while Will O’Rourke took 3-27 for New Zealand. Fakhar Zaman hit 62 from 45 while Tim Robinson hit 51 from 36 for the Kiwis.
It’s the tourists who come out on top in Lahore, but plenty of head-scratching for Pakistan to do.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 18:02(18:02 GMT)
What a rollercoaster for Pakistan
The tourists seemed to have it at one point – including in the final over.
It’s an easy game from the side lines, but Usama Mir was ill-advised to swing so hard at the ball the followed his boundary.
The wicket, but more so the dot ball, cost Pakistan dear at the end.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 18:00(18:00 GMT)
New Zealand win by four runs!
How close was that?
The last ball was drive for a single into the off side as Jimmy Neesham served up a wide yorker.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:59(17:59 GMT)
A boundary for Pakistan
Imad Wasim clears mid-off and it’s six to win from the last ball.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:58(17:58 GMT)
WIDE!
Jimmy Neesham sends a wide delivery across Imad Wasim.
Ten to win from two balls.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:57(17:57 GMT)
Imad takes two
A drive to long-on brings a couple.
Eleven needed from 2. Six and a four for a super over.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:56(17:56 GMT)
Mohammad Amir gets a single
Thirteen to win from three.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:56(17:56 GMT)
WICKET! Usama Mir is out! Pakistan 165-8
The right-hander is yorked as he swings hard at the next ball from Jimmy Neesham.
Fourteen needed from four balls.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:55(17:55 GMT)
Just get bat on it?
Usama Mir does a lot better than that.
A swashbuckling drive over point, at a wide ball from Jimmy Neesham, is flayed away for four.
Fourteen needed from five balls.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:54(17:54 GMT)
19 overs. Pakistan 161-7
Imad Wasim swings hard at the final ball of the over and a thick edge flies over the infield for four.
Eighteen to win from six. Usama Mir needs a single off the first ball of the final over.
Imad has 15* from eight.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:51(17:51 GMT)
Imad follows up with a boundary
The ball after the wicket brings a boundary as the left-hander swings hard at a wide yorker and gets a thick edge.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:50(17:50 GMT)
WICKET! Abbas is out! Pakistan 151-7
Abbas Afridi is run out after a huge mixup. Imad Wasim needed the strike and called his teammate through but a slip didn’t help matters and he was run out by a long way.
18.1 bowled.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:49(17:49 GMT)
18 overs. Pakistan 151-6
Imad Wasim slams a drive back along the floor past Ben Sears to end the over with a boundary.
Abbas Afridi is the new batter and has 1* from one. Imad has 6* from four.
Twenty-eight from 12 needed.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:46(17:46 GMT)
WICKET! Fakhar falls! Pakistan 146-6
The left-hander falls for 61 from 45 as he clips Ben Sears to deep square where Den Foxcroft takes the catch.
17.4 bowled.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:45(17:45 GMT)
Zaman finds four off the first ball
The left-hander clears mid-off first ball off Ben Sears.
Can Pakistan still do this?
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:43(17:43 GMT)
17 overs. Pakistan 140-5
Imad Wasim arrives in the middle and two singles are taken off the last three balls of the over.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:41(17:41 GMT)
WICKET! Iftikhar is out! Pakistan 138-5
The big-hitting Iftikhar Amhed falls to the third ball of Will O’Rourke’s over.
The drive picks out Jimmy Neesham at deep cover and Iftikhar departs for 25 from 20 having hooked six the ball before.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:38(17:38 GMT)
16 overs. Pakistan 133-4
Just five runs are added off the final five ball of Jacob Duffy’s over following the six to start.
New Zealand were 143-4 at this stage.
- 25 Apr 2024 - 17:32(17:32 GMT)
Fifty for Fakhar!
Fakhar Zaman is back and with a bang!
A sweet pickup is launched over midwicket for six to move the right-hander to 54* from 39 balls.
Fifty to win off 28.
Pakistan vs New Zealand: Fourth T20 cricket international – as it happened
All our updates as New Zealand beat Pakistan by four runs in Lahore to move 2-1 up in the series with one to play.
- New Zealand beat Pakistan by four runs in the penultimate T20 international of their five-match series at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan.
- Tim Robinson was named Player of the Match for his 51, but Pakistan’s Fakhar Azam top-scored with 61, while Abbas Afridi claimed the best bowling figures with 3-20.
- The Kiwis lead the series 2-1 after they romped to a seven-wicket win in the third match in Rawalpindi to level the series on Sunday.
- Pakistan won the second match at the same venue with the same margin on Saturday.
- The first match of the series was washed out after two balls.
Source: Al Jazeera