Relive 1 NEWS NOW's live coverage of the first Twenty20 International between the Black Caps and Pakistan, from Abu Dhabi.
8:15am: Pakistan win by two runs
Tight game but Pakistan's bowling gets the job done. Sure enough, those final two balls that Imad smacked for 10 runs off Southee come back to haunt the Kiwis. Top performance from Munro but no one came to help him besides a late push from Taylor. That does it for us in Abu Dhabi. Have a great day.
8:12am: NZ 146/6, 20 overs
It comes down to the final ball. Seven to win it. Six to tie. Taylor on strike. He hits it for four and that's not enough.
8:07am: NZ 132/6, 19.0 overs - Taylor 33*, Southee 0
WICKET! Seifert is gone for a golden duck. Big swing, no ding and it hits the stumps. One over left. Taylor managed to ede out a four and he's on strike for this last over.
TL Seifert b Hasan Ali 0
8:04am: NZ 123/5, 18.1 overs - Taylor 24*, Seifert 0
WICKET! Anderson tries to be the hero with a massive slog but his hit off Ali isn't enough and he's taken at long on. Taylor left to play hero.
CJ Anderson c Shoaib Malik b Hasan Ali 9
8:02am: NZ 123/4, 18.0 overs - Taylor 24, Anderson 9*
Taylor continues to lead the charge as he picks up a four off Afridi late in the over. It's coming down to the wire.
7:55am: NZ 112/4, 17.0 overs - Taylor 16*, Anderson 8
Taylor picks up a couple of twos but Pakistan remain on the defence. Not letting anything through. Three overs left
7:48am: NZ 103/4, 16.0 overs - Taylor 7*, Anderson 5
A couple of twos and ones off Khan gets the Black Caps into the 100s but they're waiting on that big over to break out. That's all it'll take at this point.
7:43am: NZ 96/4, 15.0 overs - Taylor 6, Anderson 2*
Last five overs and this is a massive partnership for the Black Caps.
7:38am: NZ 89/4, 13.4 overs - Taylor 1, Anderson 0*
WICKET! Black Caps are getting desparate and it's led to a poor run out. Taylor edges one to point and they look to run but Khan is there and snipes a direct hit to get de Grandhomme easy. Never a run in it. Game swings back into Pakistan's favour.
C de Grandhomme run out (Shadab Khan) 6
7:32am: NZ 84/3, 12.4 overs - de Grandhomme 3, Taylor 0*
WICKET! Captain Kane is sent packing after getting bamboozled by Imad. Williamson looked to nudge the ball into the leg side, but it dipped and spun to take the leading edge. Imad takes the easy caught and bowled. Close game.
KS Williamson c & b Imad Wasim 11
7:26am: NZ 79/2, 11.3 overs - Williamson 9, de Grandhomme 0*
WICKET! Munro goes! Got a bit too greedy and he's paid for it. After collecting back-to-back fours he tries to slog Khan's ball over long on but hasn't got enough and it's an easy catch. Not how he wanted to go and a big loss for NZ.
C Munro c Asif Ali b Shadab Khan 58
7:23am: NZ 70/1, 10.4 overs - Munro 50*, Williamson 8
FIFTY! Munro brings up the half century. Swashbuckling performance from him so far and he taps a pair of run soff Hafeez to get the milestone. He has five 4s and three 6s so far.
7:21am: NZ 66/1, 10.0 overs - Munro 47*, Williamson 7
Halfway mark. Last four overs, only 16 runs by the Kiwis but they've dealt with a lot of spin. Plenty of wickets in hand to chase this but Munro will want to stick around.
7:15am: NZ 57/1, 8.0 overs - Munro 44, Williamson 1*
Pakistan bring in their spinners to slow things down and cool off Munro. It's worked perfectly but Munro manages to snag a four on the last ball of the over with an edge out the back.
7:09am: NZ 50/1, 6.0 overs - Munro 38*, Williamson 0
WICKET! Last ball before the powerplay is over and Phillips chops it onto his stumps. Hasan with his trademark celebration. Pakistan with an important strike.
GD Phillips b Hasan Ali 12
7:08am: NZ 50/0, 5.4 overs - Munro 38*, Phillips 12
SIX! Phillips taps a single to get Munro back on strike and he whallops another one! Ali's ball is taken over long on again and he backs it up with another four. NZ up to 50.
7:03am: NZ 38/0, 5.0 overs - Munro 27*, Phillips 11
SIX! First maximum for the Kiwis comes from Munro and he follows it up with another one three balls later! First is off the first ball of Imad's over as he mashes it to long off. Second is a moon shot on his front foot over long on and just to rub salt i nthe wound, reverse sweeps it through point for a four to finish. BIG over.
7:00am: NZ 18/0, 4.0 overs - Munro 11, Phillips 11*
Strong over as both Munro and Phillps collect fours. Munro gets the first with who through deep midwicket before Phillips knocks one through fine leg.
6:53am: NZ 8/0, 2.0 overs - Munro 3*, Phillips 5
Kiwi openers warming into things here as Phillips picks up the first boundary with a four. Shovelled through the gap at cover. Loads of width outside off, full, and he capitalises with a full swing of the bat.
6:45am: NZ 0/0, 0.0 overs - Munro 0*, Phillips 0
Back underway in Abu Dhabi. Munro and Phillips for the Kiwis. Imad for Pakistan.
6:31am: PAK 148/6, 20 overs
Pakistan finish with a bang as Imad smacks 10 runs off the final two balls, including a SIX on the final delivery. Southee won't be happy with his finish there but that's not a bad innings from the Kiwis. Will be interesting to see how big an impact those last two balls have on this match. Stay with us folks. Black Caps chase coming up.
6:24am: PAK 134/6, 19.0 overs - Faheem 9, Imad 1*
SIX! Faheem luanches Milne's last ball of the innings as he clobbers this one over deep midwicket. They're trying to get this score as high as they can right now - 150s will be competitive. Southee with the last over.
6:19am: PAK 123/6, 18.0 overs - Faheem 1*, Imad 0
WICKET! And Anderson gets his second of the over with a bullet! Pakistan try to squeeze out a second run but Anderson comes in from long-on and fires it for a direct hit on the stumps from deep. Malik had no chance. Stunning from a man coming back from injury. What a confidence booster.
6:15am: PAK 121/5, 17.4 overs - Shoiab 7, Faheem 0*
WICKET! The Black Caps get Sarfraz this time and it's another great fielding play. This time it's Anderson laying it for a blinder after running from miles away to get to the sky-high shot driven down the field. Didn't get enough of Sodhi's ball and it's cost him. Still, he did finish strong with a SIX on the previous ball.
Sarfraz Ahmed c Anderson b Sodhi 34
6:13am: PAK 113/4, 16.5 overs - Shoaib 6, Sarfraz 27*
Big wicket goes missing as Sarfraz survives a blunder from Southee. There's a mix up in between the creases and Sarfraz is in no-man's land. The ball comes in to Southee at the non-striker's end and he swipes the bails without the ball! Got way too ahead of himself there. Had all the time in the world. Will that haunt them?
6:08am: PAK 106/4, 16.0 overs - Shoaib 6*, Sarfraz 20
Final four overs coming up for Pakistan. Still need a couple of boundaries to make this competitive. Just picking up singles at the moment off Sodhi. The Kiwi spinner has one over left as Southee rejoins the attack.
6:00am: PAK 93/4, 14.2 overs - Shoaib 0*, Sarfraz 14
WICKET! Another magnificent catch and this time it's Phillips. Comes in from deep midwicket dives forward and makes the catch at his finger tips. How good for a wicketkeeper! Black Caps doing enough to keep Pakistan in check here.
5:58am: PAK 92/3, 14.0 overs - Asif 24, Sarfraz 13*
Sarfraz not mucking around after digging in. Picked up a couple of fours already. With that over done Ajaz Patel's debut with the ball is over. Four overs, 27 runs, one wicket. Not a bad first line.
5:49am: PAK 77/3, 11.4 overs - Asif 22, Sarfraz 0*
WICKET! Hafeez is gone! Stunning catch from Southee to get rid of him too. Milne comes in with a short ball and Hafeez cuts it away. Southee dives to his left and somehow gets to it. What a stunner. Big wicket too.
Mohammad Hafeez c Southee b Milne 45
5:45am: PAK 70/2, 10.4 overs - Hafeez 40, Asif 20
SIX! Hafeez obliterates a ball from Patel for 82m down the field. Comes a couple of steps down the wicket and also down the on side. Creates that room to loft it over long off.
5:43am: PAK 61/2, 10.0 overs - Hafeez 33, Asif 18
Halfway point in the innings. Pakistan have recovered well with this partnership ticking over 50. It comes as Asif looks to pull one away but a sensational diving catch from Phillips results in a stop and denies them three runs. Surely that's worth the one-hand, one-bounce rule?
5:35am: PAK 40/2, 8.0 overs - Hafeez 23*, Asif 8
Hafeez keeps the scoreboard ticking over but he's survived a sneaky ball from Sodhi. Beats him and there's a big appeal but the umpire isn't interested. Williamson thinks about the review but leaves it. Good choice. Replay shows it was all pad.
5:26am: PAK 31/2, 6.0 overs - Hafeez 16*, Asif 6
Pakistan have been in damage control a bit here but starting to find their rhythm now as Hafeez clobbers the first SIX of the game. Beauty of a shot. Gets down on one knee and guides a gentle paddle, using the pace of Southee, to send it over fine leg. Power play over.
5:14am: PAK 10/2, 3.1 overs - Hafeez 0*, Asif 1
WICKET! Patel is back in the attack and he's got a wicket on debut! Farhan looks to clobber it to deep square leg but Munro is there and waiting with open hands. Too easy.
Sahibzada Farhan c Munro b Patel 1
5:11am: PAK 8/1, 2.2 overs - Farhan 0, Asif 0*
WICKET! Dangerman Babar is gone! Milne has already come into the attack for Patel and makes an immediate impact. Swings it short and wide and Babar tries to guide it over the top but it's a thick edge through to the keeper. That is Babar's first T20 innings under 10 runs in 11 games.
Babar Azam c †Seifert b Milne 7
5:07am: PAK 8/0, 1.4 overs - Babar 7*, Farhan 0
Farhan survives an early chance! He tries to hit one over the top of mid-on but hasn't gotten it clean and it floats to Milne. Diving catch but he's not sure it carried. Third umpire called in and it's tough. Milne has his fingers under it as the ball hits the ground but the ball clearing touches the earth in the catch too. Benefit of the doubt given to Farhan though.
5:02am: PAK 5/0, 1.0 overs - Babar 5*, Farhan 0
Nervous start from Patel as his first ball, a short one from round the wicket, is slapped off the backfoot through point to the rope. Settles down after that. Southee on the attack from the other end.
5:00am: PAK 0/0, 0.0 overs - Babar 0*, Farhan 0
Debutant slow left-arm Ajaz Patel will get the first over for the Black Caps.
4:55am: PITCH REPORT
The pitch has some sheen and cracks and looks to be a low-scoring surface. A bat-first one, which means it might slow down later on and see the Kiwis in trouble.
4:50am: TOSS
Pakistan win the toss and elect to bat.
4:30am: PREVIEW
Seven months after their last cricketing assignment, the Black Caps are back in action, only this time with a brand new coach.
After unprecedented success in charge of New Zealand Mike Hesson's tenure came to an end earlier this year, stepping aside for Canterbury's Gary Stead to take the reigns.
What's more, a few new faces will be on display, with the likes of Martin Guptill missing from the limited overs leg of this tour, while spinner Mitchell Santner will also be a notable absentee. Trent Boult has been given an extended break.
Youngster Glenn Phillips will likely take responsibility at the top of the order for the Black Caps, while Corey Anderson and Adam Milne returns following a disastrous run of injuries. Central Districts left-arm tweaker Ajaz Patel could be in line for his international debut as well.
Pakistan meanwhile, come into this series as hot favourites, ranked number one in the world in T20, and having sent Australia home with their tails between their legs, winless across all three formats.
TEAMS
NZ: Glenn Phillips, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (capt), Colin de Grandhomme, Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson, Tim Seifert (wk), Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Ajaz Patel
Pakistan: Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), Faheem Ashraf, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi
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