Papua New Guinea lost all its wickets and scored only 78 runs with 2 balls remaining. New Zealand recorded a comprehensive win against an average team and ended their campaign on a high note.
New Zealand took on Papua New Guinea, a newcomer in international cricket, on June 17. However, it was a formal match for both teams as they were already out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
This one-sided victory will give some confidence to the NZ team. Their performance in this tournament had not been up to the mark. West Indies and Afghanistan qualified for the Super 8 from their group, but New Zealand did not.
New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea Highlights
New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl first, like most teams have been doing in the tournament. PNG did not get a good start and lost its first wicket with just 3 runs on the board. NZ bowlers, especially Lockie Ferguson, did not give PNG any chance to recover from the initial setback.
They kept losing wickets at regular intervals and lost all their wickets in the 20th over. Charles Amini was the highest scorer for PNG, with 17 runs.
PNG set a target of 79 runs for NZ. Ferguson took three wickets, while Boult, Southee, and Sodhi took two wickets each.
While chasing an easy target, New Zealand also did not get a good start. Finn Allen lost his wicket on the second ball of the innings. However, Conway and Kane Williamson partnered well to recover from the initial blows. Conway, with 35, and Daryl Mitchell, with 19 runs, ensured the victory.
New Zealand won the match in just 12.2 overs with 7 wickets in hand.
Kabua Morea took 2 crucial wickets for Papua New Guinea, while Semo Kamea took one wicket against New Zealand.
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