Pakistan 153 for 3 (Rizwan 57, Babar 53, Boult 2-33) beat New Zealand 152 for 4 (Mitchell 53*, Williamson 46, Afridi 2-24) by seven wickets
Pakistan, who lost to Zimbabwe earlier in the tournament, who limped into the semis thanks only to Netherland’s unlikely win over South Africa, have stormed into the final of the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup, having executed a near-perfect game.
So much that is great about this Pakistan team fell into place in this game. Shaheen Afridi got his first-over wicket, trapping Finn Allen in front with a vicious inswinger third ball. Their seamers locked down the back end of the innings, conceding just 53 runs off the last six overs (this is something they’ve done well right through the tournament).
Then, having restricted New Zealand – who struggled to find boundaries – to 152 for 4, their openers returned to dazzling form. Having been dropped in the first over, Babar Azam struck 53 off 42 balls, whipping quicks through square leg, thumping spinners down the ground. Mohammad Rizwan was even more impressive, hitting 57 off 43 as the pair put on 105 for the first wicket.
There was a slight stutter towards the end, as Pakistan lost their openers, and slowed down a touch. But Babar and Rizwan had foolproofed the chase. They got there with five balls to spare.
Full report to follow
Source: ESPN Crickinfo