Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
Mark Chapman continued his brilliant form with an unbeaten 104 off 57 balls as New Zealand chased down a target of 194 to beat Pakistan by six wickets in the fifth Twenty20 in Rawalpindi on, coming from 2-0 down to draw the series 2-2.
The Blacks Caps looked in deep water at 73-4 in reply to Pakistan’s 193-5 but Chapman and all-rounder Jimmy Neesham, who scored 45 not out, combined to get the tourists over the line with four balls to spare and no further losses.
It was New Zealand’s second-highest successful run chase in T20s and all the more notable for being achieved by a weakened team led by a stand-in coach against a bowling attack that fired Pakistan to the final of last year’s World Cup.
Pakistan looked to be in a strong position to clinch the series after opener Mohammad Rizwan’s unbeaten 98 led the hosts to a decent tally.
Lefthander Chapman, however, has enjoyed a remarkable tour, dismissed only once in five innings and racking up 290 runs — a record tally for a five-match T20 series.
As well as taking player of the match and player of the series honours, his performances with the bat earned him an immediate call-up to the squad for the one-day international series that starts in Rawalpindi on Thursday.
