Despite a shaky start at 20-3, the Black Caps were propelled to victory by the unbeaten fifties of Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips.
New Zealand delivered a crushing blow to Pakistan, defeating them by seven wickets in the fourth and penultimate match at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. This victory leaves the Shaheen Afridi-led Men in Green without a win and on the brink of a series whitewash. Despite a shaky start at 20-3, the Black Caps were propelled to victory by the unbeaten fifties of Daryl Mitchell (72 not out) and Glenn Phillips (70 not out), who guided their team to victory in just 18.1 overs.
The Kiwis chose to bowl first, and Pakistan suffered an early setback with the loss of opener Saim Ayub. However, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam managed to stabilize the innings with a 51-run partnership for the second wicket. Unfortunately for Pakistan, Babar fell for 19 after scoring three consecutive half-centuries in the series. Rizwan continued to hold the fort, with Mohammad Nawaz's quickfire 21* off just nine balls providing some support. As a result, Pakistan managed to post a respectable total of 158 for 6.
In pursuit of 159, Pakistan initially had the upper hand, with captain Shaheen Afridi taking three wickets in his first spell. At 20 for 3, New Zealand found themselves in a precarious position and in desperate need of a substantial partnership. Mitchell and Phillips rose to the occasion, forging an unbroken 139-run stand for the fourth wicket in just 93 balls. Their partnership was characterized by aggressive running between the wickets and capitalizing on loose deliveries. Furthermore, Pakistan's fielding performance was below par, with Mitchell benefiting from two missed opportunities.
After Shaheen's early strikes, Pakistani bowlers continued to struggle, particularly Haris Rauf who once again proved to be expensive (3.1-0-29-0). The Pakistani team faces a daunting challenge to secure a victory and salvage the series, as they have been lacking a cohesive effort in all aspects of the game.
The fifth and final T20I is scheduled for Sunday (Jan 21) at the same venue.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "NZ vs PAK: Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips star as New Zealand beat Pakistan by 7 wickets, take 4-0 lead")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}