New Zealand beat UAE in 1st T20I; Southee takes fifer
New Zealand beat the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the 1st T20I at the Dubai International Stadium on August 17. The visitors successfully defended 155 after bowling UAE out for 136. Skipper Tim Southee led from the front with a terrific five-wicket haul. Tim Seifert scored a quickfire 55, while Cole McConchie (31*) and Rachin Ravindra (21*) took NZ from 109/6 to 155/6.
How did the match pan out?
NZ had a patchy start after UAE elected to field. They lost their first wicket for no score, but Seifert accelerated to get NZ past 50. A middle-order collapse meant NZ were reduced to 109/6. However, McConchie and Ravindra guided NZ to 155/6. UAE had a similar start before Aryansh Sharma slammed a half-century. Southee took a fifer as UAE perished for 136.
Seifert slams his eighth T20I half-century
Chad Bowes departed on the first ball of the match. However, Seifert and Dane Cleaver added 51 runs for the second wicket, with the latter contributing just four to the partnership. Seven balls later, Seifert followed Cleaver as Basil Hameed dismissed the former. Seifert smashed 55 off 34 balls (eighth T20I half-century), a knock studded with 2 fours and 3 sixes.
Maiden T20I half-century overseas
The one against UAE in Dubai was his maiden half-century in T20I cricket away from home. Notably, seven of his eight T20I fifties have come at home. Seifert has scored 135 T20I runs in foreign conditions compared to 813 at home.
First-ever T20I between NZ and UAE
This happened to be the first T20 International between New Zealand and UAE. However, the two teams have clashed once earlier, back in the 1996 ODI World Cup in Pakistan when NZ won by 109 runs.
Southee leads from the front
Southee delivered a captain's spell, taking five wickets for just 25 runs in four overs. He trapped UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem in front on the first ball of their run-chase. Southee then got rid of Vriitya Aravind in his second over. The NZ skipper then dismissed Basil Hameed, Aayan Afzal Khan, and Junaid Siddique to take an incredible five-wicket haul.
Southee's second five-wicket haul in T20Is
This was Southee's second five-wicket haul in T20I cricket. His career-best figures of 5/18 came against Pakistan in 2010 in Auckland. The right-arm seamer has now raced to 139 wickets in the format at an average of 23.05. In the next match, Southee will likely surpass Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan (140) to become the highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket.
A valiant knock from debutant Aryansh
UAE opener Aryansh Sharma played a valiant knock despite the top-order collapse. He had brief partnerships with Asif Khan, Ansh Tandon, and Hameed to take the Kiwis past 100. However, he received minimal support from other batters and eventually departed for 60 off 43 balls (9 fours and 1 six). Notably, the 18-year-old made his debut in the format.
