Player of the Match
Player of the Match

And with that it's a wrap from us. Pakistan get the first win of this tri-series, and they will get a few days off before their next match. Zimbabwe though will be in action against Sri Lanka on Thursday, so be sure to join us for that. Till then on behalf of Fidel and the rest of the team, this is Madushka signing out!

Salman Ali Agha: It was a close game, we didn't start well bowling and bat, and when you don't start well it tends to get close. [bowling?] The spinners have been doing well for that last 4-5 months, whoever comes, and they're the ones that put us back in the game. [expectation?] When we came last night and saw the pitch I knew it wasn't going to be very high scoring, lately it's not been in Pindi. It's a 160-180 kind of a pitch but we bowled really well. Was very happy to chase 147. We need to start well, bowling or batting. The powerplay we need to be ruthless. That's what I'm going to talk about."

Sikandar Raza: "I didn't think that [147] was a good total on that wicket. There was a need for batsmanship on this sort of wicket, some of us needed to grind for the team and try and find a partnership. Had we found one I think 160-165 was a par score. I think the guys were trying we cannot fault them for that. Pakistan have some mystery, and the spinners are quality as well with Saim, Nawaz and Abrar. It's not easy to put them away. I though at that moment had we found 6-7 an over, and kept some wickets in hand, then we could have pulled the plug a bit earlier. We didn't know how much dew there was gonna be, last 10 overs were slightly easier to bat on. [160?] When we went out there to bat I thought there wasn't much turn, it was just slightly stoppy. It wasn't easy to work the pace. I thought 160, with the seam attack and quality we have, thought that would have been par. [good fight?] Certainly happy with that, there's more positives than negatives. But we're getting to a stage, where the fight has always been there, but we must learn how to cross the line. That has been the last hurdle. I'd like to see us crossing the line more often. [conditions?] Not the easiest. The pressure, the visibility of the high ball, certainly when the temperature drops quickly, these are not easy. That's we love this game, and play this sport."

Player of the Match goes to Mohammed Nawaz for his figures of 2 for 24 and his unbeaten 20 off 12: "Feeling good, and starting the series well gives you good confidence as a team. [bowling after a good opp. start?] Can be a little difficult sometimes, still as a bowler I was just trying to stick to my plan. And the pitch was helping a little as well. [pitch different?] It's a little different. Rawalpindi is my home ground, and usually high scoring. But today it played different. [confidence] I feel I'm at the top of my game but T20 cricket momentum can change in one or two overs, so you have to be on top all the time and keep reading the situation of the game. That's what we did well today I think. I also want to dedicate this award to my family and kids."

9.40pm Time for the post-match presentation...

Waseem: "Zimbabwe has clearly won the first 10 overs of each innings, and Pakistan won the second set of 10 overs. Strange game "

Yasser Saleem: "Nawaz with the ball. Nawaz with the bat has won the game for Pakistan."

Abrar: "Nawaz : " Proved Again a Match Winner perfect choice for POM Nawaz you beauty alongside Usman gets lot of confidence for next games""

Ahmed: "well zimbabwe have themselves to blame .. they were comfortably ahead on more than one occasion during the course of the match, pakistan get the win with a nothing performance tbh, I thought they were poor tonight. "

Ka Sean: "Regardless of the opposition, Pakistan only knows how to make a match entertaining. a true entertainer. "

In the midst of it all there was also a return to international cricket for Graeme Cremer, who had missed missed 126 T20Is played by Zimbabwe - which is now the most by any player - between his past two games.

9.28pm So Pakistan's middle order comes to the fore to rescue a game that they looked in danger of bottling about halfway through. In the end it was the final 10 overs of both innings where Pakistan did their best work. First reeling in Zimbabwe after a lightning start, and then recovering from a dire powerplay to win the game with four balls to spare. Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan and Mohammed Nawaz came together to put up stands of 61 and 36 to take the hosts home, having slipped to 54 for 4 haflway through the chase. Zimbabwe's bowlers did very well to keep things tight and force mistakes, and they were backed up by some excellent fielding - even if a dropped chance in the penultimate over rendered all that fairly moot.

19.2
4
Maposa to Mohammad Nawaz, FOUR, And that's the game! Nawaz does it once more! Full outside off and slashed away behind point. The fans are jubilant, and Pakistan can breathe a sigh of relief. Pakistan win by 5 wickets! But Zimbabwe fought every step of the way
19.1
4
Maposa to Mohammad Nawaz, FOUR, Beautfully done from Nawaz! Wide yorker, but Nawaz has just so deftly used the pace and run this super fine past the keeper. Outstanding composure.

Maposa to bowl the last. Lots of gesturing to set the field.

Dude: "Oh that was a harsh call, the ball was dipping on Nawaz. I'd have not clear it as a No."

Carey Sweeney: "Poor execution has cost Zim. Dropped catch, no-ball and misfield! what a hat trick."

5 needed off the final over, Pakistan's game to lose down.

END OF OVER:
19 | 12 Runs | PAK: 143/5 (5 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 7.52, RRR: 5.00)

  • Mohammad Nawaz13 (10b)
  • Usman Khan37 (28b)
  • Brad Evans4-0-26-2
  • Richard Ngarava4-0-31-1
18.6
1
Evans to Mohammad Nawaz, 1 run, back of a length on the stumps, nudged into the onside for one
18.5
1
Evans to Usman Khan, 1 run, this time Cremer at backward point fields it cleanly
18.4
4
Evans to Usman Khan, FOUR, Misfield and four! Three bits of sloppy play and Zimbabwe have fallen behind! This was full on off and sliced to backward point, who misreads the spin and lets it through
18.4
2nb
Evans to Mohammad Nawaz, (no ball) 1 run, Free hit coming up! Oh dear! This is a waist-high full toss and pulled to Bennett again. Marginal call, but this game is now slipping away from Zimbabwe
18.3
2
Evans to Mohammad Nawaz, 2 runs, Dropped! What a moment in the game! Nawaz goes for the big one, but only gets the height. Bennett settles under it well at deep square leg, but he's on the move and and just can't hold on

Fazo: "The penultimate over is usually the win/lose defining over for the batting side"

18.2
1
Evans to Usman Khan, 1 run, skips down but can only drill this straight to long-off

over the wicket

18.1
1
Evans to Mohammad Nawaz, 1 run, good length and straight, swatted down to long-on. Briefly in the air

Evans to bowl out. Around the wicket

This game is going down to the wire, 17 needed from 12. Pakistan would love a big over here.

END OF OVER:
18 | 7 Runs | PAK: 131/5 (17 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 7.27, RRR: 8.50)

  • Mohammad Nawaz8 (6b)
  • Usman Khan31 (25b)
  • Richard Ngarava4-0-31-1
  • Brad Evans3-0-14-2
17.6
1
Ngarava to Mohammad Nawaz, 1 run, follows it up with the back of a length cutter, strikes the pads and they steal a single
17.5
0
Ngarava to Mohammad Nawaz, no run, short and cramps Nawaz for room. He can only fend this back toward the bowler. Winds up for the pull but doesn't have time to swing through

Abrar : "Nawaz : " six of 16.5 reminds the six of his against SA in 2nd last over last ball hope the results will be the same""

17.4
1
Ngarava to Usman Khan, 1 run, charges down the ground, as Ngarava bangs it in short. Flat batted to long-on for one
17.3
2
Ngarava to Usman Khan, 2 runs, sliced but safe! This was full outside off and he's looking to go over extra cover. Ends up slicing to deep third. Maposa is done in by the spin, but just about keeps it in play

Khizer: "Nawaz has definitely benefited us with his bowling, but the advantage he has given us in batting over the past year is beyond explanation."

17.3
2w
Ngarava to Mohammad Nawaz, 2 wides, slides down leg, they run one too as Taylor can only parry it away

over the wicket

17.2
1
Ngarava to Usman Khan, 1 run, Almost a blinder! Will go down as a drop, but this had no business being caught. Driven in the air to the right of Raza at extra cover, who moves low to his right and nearly scoops this centimetres off the ground
17.1
0
Ngarava to Usman Khan, no run, back of a length outside off, angled in from around the wicket. Looks to cut and misses. Likely beaten by the bounce

Bilal: "I just don't get why a set batsman goes for these kinds of shots when he's already scoring freely with normal ones. Fakhar just showed how to ruined it. Always reminds me of Misbah in the 2007 T20 World Cup final…"

END OF OVER:
17 | 9 Runs | PAK: 124/5 (24 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.29, RRR: 8.00)

  • Mohammad Nawaz7 (4b)
  • Usman Khan27 (21b)
  • Brad Evans3-0-14-2
  • Richard Ngarava3-0-24-1
16.6
0
Evans to Mohammad Nawaz, no run, looks for the paddle scoop now, gets rapped on the pads for his efforts. Fortunately for Nawaz this was clearly sliding down leg

Abrar: "Fakhar: " Fakhar did his job done now it's up to trio of Faheem Nawaz and Usman to finish it ""

16.5
6
Evans to Mohammad Nawaz, SIX, What a hit! This was not a bad ball - at all. But Nawaz has just stood and delivered. Takes it off a good length, and just plonks it over long-on. That is some ball striking

around

16.4
1
Evans to Usman Khan, 1 run, good length outside off, chopped into the turf. Quick single taken

over the wicket

16.3
1
Evans to Mohammad Nawaz, 1 run, back of a length again, angled towards middle and off. Backs away and pokes this towards point for one

Pakistan 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st27Sahibzada FarhanSaim Ayub
2nd0Babar AzamSaim Ayub
3rd3Agha SalmanSaim Ayub
4th24Fakhar ZamanSaim Ayub
5th61Fakhar ZamanUsman Khan
6th36Mohammad Nawaz (3)Usman Khan