Istafa Ali
Phillips smashed four sixes and four fours in his 63-ball 63 to help New Zealand wins against Pakistan and recover from a dangerous 181-5 in pursuit of a 281-run mark.
His innings overshadowed Fakhar Zaman’s 101 as Pakistan scored 280-9 in 50 overs.
Phillips came in to bat with New Zealand needing 100 from 87 balls, and he and Mitchell Santner combined 64 for the seventh wicket in a match-winning partnership.
Kane Williamson led the way with 53, and Devon Conway added 52 before Phillips ended the chase with 11 balls to spare.
Phillips hit his maiden ODI fifty off 28 balls, however he was dropped the next delivery as wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan failed to hold a catch off spinner Usama Khan.
New Zealand win the series-deciding third ODI courtesy of Glenn Phillips' unbeaten 63.#PAKvNZ | #TayyariKiwiHai pic.twitter.com/bHttJhDeNu
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) January 13, 2023
New Zealand won their first ODI series in Pakistan in six attempts, keeping them atop the one-day rankings.
“He (Phillips) wasn’t feeling well, but he came out and played with a lot of freedom,” Williamson said, noting that his team has now won seven of their previous eight ODI series.
“I believed we were in the game at the midway mark but made a few blunders. For Glenn to play that knock, as well as for Pakistan. It was a tough series to win.”
“When Rizwan and Fakhar played, it seemed like we’d approach 300, but when wickets go, it’s difficult for new batsmen,” Pakistan skipper Babar Azam remarked.
“We couldn’t quite execute with the ball in the last 10 overs.”
Williamson stabilised the innings with 65-run partnerships with Conway for the second wicket and 52 with Daryl Mitchell (31) for the third, but New Zealand lost four wickets in 45 runs.
To break the two partnerships, off-spinner Agha Salman (2-42) dismissed Conway and then caught Mitchell off a miscued reverse sweep. Williamson was run out for the fourth time in the innings.
Opener Zaman established the groundwork for a competitive Pakistan total.
After Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first, the left-hander blasted 10 fours and a six.
During a third-wicket partnership of 154 with Rizwan, who hit a brilliant 77 with six boundaries, Zaman boosted Pakistan from 21-2.
Pakistan got off to a bad start, losing Shan Masood without scoring and Azam, the world’s top-ranked ODI batsman, for only four runs.
In the seventh over, Azam, who scored two half-centuries in the first two meetings, was stumped by Tom Latham off spinner Michael Bracewell.
Zaman was allowed to rebuild the innings, and he took a quick single to achieve his eighth century, his first three-figure ODI total in Pakistan.
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Ish Sodhi broke the stand by bowling Rizwan, while Zaman was ran out while attempting to steal a fast single.
Salman provided some late energy to the batting by hitting 45 off 43 balls, while New Zealand seamer Tim Southee concluded with 3-56.
