Fri Mar 21 06:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Pakistan Faces Mountainous Chase After New Zealand Post 204 in Third T20I
**Auckland, New Zealand:** New Zealand put up a challenging 204-run target for Pakistan in the third T20I of their five-match series at Eden Park, Auckland. Mark Chapman narrowly missed a century, scoring a blistering 94 off 44 balls, while Michael Bracewell contributed a quickfire 31. Pakistan’s bowling attack, featuring impressive performances from Haris Rauf (3 wickets), Shaheen Afridi (2 wickets), and Abrar Ahmed (2 wickets), managed to restrict New Zealand despite Chapman’s dominant display.
New Zealand, already leading the series 2-0 after emphatic wins in the first two matches, will be looking to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead. Pakistan, however, will be desperate for a win to keep the series alive. The match saw changes in both teams’ lineups: Abbas Afridi and Haris Rauf returned to the Pakistan XI, while Kyle Jamieson replaced Jaker Faulkes for New Zealand.
Pakistan’s chase began explosively, with Mohammad Haris hitting two sixes in the opening over. However, the early momentum was checked by the loss of Haris (41) and subsequent wickets. At the time of writing, Pakistan were struggling to keep up with the required run rate, needing a significant turnaround to chase down the imposing total. Hasan Nawaz was the top scorer for Pakistan at this stage. The match remains intensely competitive with Pakistan facing a stiff challenge.
First Piper 