UAE vs NZ: Mark Chapman smokes his sixth T20I fifty
New Zealand batter Mark Chapman played a crucial knock against the United Arab Emirates in the second T20I at the Dubai International Stadium. The southpaw slammed his sixth half-century in T20Is and his first against UAE. Chapman's knock of 63 from 46 balls saved the Kiwis from a massive collapse and helped them reach 142/8 in their 20 overs. Here's more.
A timely knock from Chapman
The 29-year-old came to the crease when NZ were reduced to 27/3 in 4.3 overs. Chapman saw wickets tumbling at the other end but he kept his calm and kept the scoreboard ticking. He stitched a 53-run stand with James Neesham, taking the total beyond the 100-run mark. Chapman's knock was studded with three sixes and three fours. Zahoor Khan dismissed the southpaw.
A look at Chapman's T20I numbers
Courtesy of his fifty, Chapman has raced to 1,204 runs in 54 T20Is at an average of 30.10. Besides his six fifties, he has smoked a ton in this format. The 29-year-old owns a strike rate of 130.86 and plays spin well. Notably, Chapman has scored 812 runs in 35 T20Is for NZ as he made the switch from Hong Kong in 2016.
Summary of the NZ innings
UAE bowled brilliantly after they invited NZ to bat. NZ had a sluggish start as none of the batters got going as Aayan Afzal Khan claimed 3/20. NZ were reduced to 37/3 in the powerplay overs. Chapman and Neesham added 53 runs taking the score beyond the 100-run mark. Chapman slammed a fine fifty to help NZ amass a respectable total of 142/8.
