END OF OVER:20 | 8 Runs 1 Wkt | NZ-W: 110/6 | RR: 5.50
- Isabella Gaze5 (4b)
- Nida Dar4-0-26-1
- Sadia Iqbal4-0-23-1
7:37pm And now...the numbers you have all been waiting for. Here's Sampath:
The maximum number of overs Pakistan can take based on their final total (if they score more than the target)
111 - 10.4 overs 112 - 10.5 overs 113 - 10.6 overs 114 - 11.1 overs 115 - 11.2 overs 116 - 11.3 overs
7:31pm Well, that was an eventful innings. Pakistan created a whole host of changes but also put down a fair few of them, which has allowed New Zealand to get up to 110. This may not be a huge score but on a track that has been appreciably slow, especially after the effect of the new ball wore off, could still be quite handy.
Bates and Halliday were the ones to get into the 20s. Devine and Plimmer were stranded in the 10s, and that sums up a batting essay that lacked sustained momentum and tempo. Much of that was down to how Pakistan bowled. Their spinners tightened the noose after the powerplay, with only Dar going at more than six runs per over. Batting has not been their strong suit this T20 World Cup but they might just be quietly confident of chasing this down.
Brooke Halliday: (On the conditions) Hard work. The way Pakistan bowled, the slower bowlers, they were really effective. Hard to get boundaries. Good that Sophie and I had a bit of a partnership but a bit below (par). Wasn't too much chat about being calm. We were trying to get seven an over and get to the 120-130 mark. More about keeping our shape, finding the gaps. We had that one game against India so that is our experience at this venue and I dropped a catch then, so not a particularly good record (smiles).
ML Green c Fatima Sana b Nida Dar 9 (9m 7b 0x4 0x6) SR: 128.57
Dar to bowl the final over. But she will have to do so with just three fielders outside the ring. Over-rate penalty imposed, and more drama sprinkled...
There have been a lot of dropped catches so far and some of that might be due to the ring of lights in Dubai and the players' inexperience of playing at night. For in-depth insights about it, do check out this piece from Vishal Dikshit
END OF OVER:19 | 6 Runs 1 Wkt | NZ-W: 102/5 | RR: 5.36
- Isabella Gaze4 (3b)
- Maddy Green2 (2b)
- Sadia Iqbal4-0-23-1
- Nashra Sandhu4-0-18-3
Gaze in at 7
SFM Devine c Fatima Sana b Sadia Iqbal 19 (35m 25b 0x4 0x6) SR: 76.00
Green is the new batter in. At the other end for now, though. Iqbal to bowl the 19th
END OF OVER:18 | 7 Runs 1 Wkt | NZ-W: 96/4 | RR: 5.33
- Sophie Devine19 (24b)
- Nashra Sandhu4-0-18-3
- Sadia Iqbal3-0-17-0
BM Halliday st †Muneeba Ali b Nashra Sandhu 22 (24m 24b 2x4 0x6) SR: 91.66
Three overs left. Can NZ get close to 120? Sandhu to bowl out
END OF OVER:17 | 7 Runs | NZ-W: 89/3 | RR: 5.23
- Sophie Devine17 (22b)
- Brooke Halliday17 (20b)
- Sadia Iqbal3-0-17-0
- Nida Dar3-0-18-0
The pressure is building and you could cut the tension with a knife right about now. Something will give very soon...