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Cricket News: New Zealand v Pakistan T20 Series, Jacob Duffy border rope catch

Jacob Duffy took four wickets on a man of the match debut for New Zealand, but it was a catch that didn’t count in the Kiwi’s five-wicket win and left fans in disbelief.

After the 26-year-old had received his black cap and was asked by bowling trainer Shane Jurgensen to “stay calm and play wild”, he got off to a sensational start and dismissed opener Abdullah Shafique in his first game because of a duck.

He then claimed Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Hafeez’s scalp in his second when Pakistan lost three wickets in three balls to fall to 4/20.

The visitors were over 5/44 on the 10th when Shadab Khan sailed an uppercut towards a deep third man. The shot looked like a six for all money, but Duffy chased it back to the rope and reached up to pluck it from the sky.

He had only about three feet to stop his swing and he distorted his body acrobatically so as not to touch the perimeter rope.

However, reruns indicated that the fingertips of his left hand were just brushed over the triangular advertising wedge, meaning it was a four for Khan.

Khan tried to save his side’s innings by crushing 42 of 32 balls before Duffy Sodhi gave a lead and drove New Zealand to a first-ever T20 international win at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday.

The Black Caps finished with seven balls on 5/156 after losing the throw and setting a target of 154.

Tim Seifert scored the first goal for the hosts with 57 points, while Duffy finished with 4/33.

Haris Rauf was the best tourist bowler with 3/29. Pakistan had rocky preparation for the game when 10 of their tour groups tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in New Zealand during quarantine.

The players also received a reprimand from local health officials for violating social distancing rules and were unable to exercise until they were allowed to leave their hotel on December 8th.

In contrast, New Zealand scored a 2-0 win over the West Indies and played in domestic conditions.

“We looked a little rusty out there,” admitted Khan, saying the varying pace of the field made it difficult for Pakistan’s batsmen.

“We had an international game now, so we will definitely do better in the next game.”

Pakistan’s attack made early headway when two quick wickets from Rauf restricted New Zealand to 3/72 at the 10-over mark.

Seifert made his half-century out of 35 balls but ran out of 57 after a sharp catch from Ashraf who then lost a slight chance of giving Mark Chapman a life.

Mitchell Santner steered his team to victory with a six to seal the victory. The second and third T20 will be played on Sunday and Tuesday in Hamilton and Napier. The first of two tests will begin on December 26th in Mount Maunganui.

– with AFP

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