Tim Seifert remained stranded on a 38-ball 97 as New Zealand chased down 129 at Wellington, but he did smash multiple records en route.
Pakistan made only 128-9 in the fifth T20I of the five-match series, at Wellington, after New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell won the toss and opted to bowl. Hasan Nawaz fell for a record third duck in the series as Pakistan slipped to 43-4 before captain Salman Ali Agha (51 in 39 balls) took them to a three-figure score. For New Zealand, Jimmy Neesham returned 5-22, his maiden T20I four-wicket haul, while Jacob Duffy's four overs fetched him 2-18.
Also read: ICC men's T20I rankings update: New Zealand quick jumps from 35th to 5th in two weeks
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5th T20I, New Zealand vs Pakistan
Tim Seifert and New Zealand break multiple records
Seifert and Finn Allen (27 in 12 balls) came out all guns blazing, racing to 92-0 inside the powerplay, setting a new national record. New Zealand’s previous record powerplay score was 91-0, against Australia in Auckland in 2017/18. This was also the third-highest powerplay score by any side without losing a wicket, after South Africa’s 102-0 against the West Indies in 2022/23 and the West Indies’s 93-0 against Ireland in 2019/20.
Allen fell two balls later, and Mark Chapman followed soon, but Seifert continued. At one point, the only matter of interest left in the game was whether he would get a hundred. He needed another 28 and New Zealand 24 when Shadab Khan began the ninth over – in other words, he needed a specific sequence. Seifert began with a six but took a single off the next ball. Daryl Mitchell returned the strike immediately, but now he needed 21 out of 16 – in other words, three sixes interrupted by a three. He chose to finish the game with three sixes in a row.
Seifert remained unbeaten on 97 with 10 sixes, a new record for New Zealand while batting second by some distance. The previous record was held by Colin Munro, who hit seven sixes twice (against Sri Lanka in 2016 and against England in 2018).
Seifert also equalled the national and world records for most sixes in a score of 99 or below.
Most sixes in a sub-100 innings in men’s T20Is
| 6s | Runs | Balls | Player | Team | Opposition | Ground | Year |
| 10 | 94* | 41 | Corey Anderson | New Zealand | Bangladesh | Mount Maunganui | 2017 |
| 10 | 88 | 55 | Rajiva Sandaruwan | Kuwait | Qatar | Doha | 2019 |
| 10 | 91* | 40 | Lendl Simmons | West Indies | Ireland | Basseterre | 2020 |
| 10 | 86* | 34 | Tony Ura | Papua New Guinea | Malaysia | Kirtipur | 2022 |
| 10 | 92* | 34 | Kevin D'Souza | Bulgaria | Serbia | Sofia | 2022 |
| 10 | 88* | 46 | Muhammad Tanveer | Qatar | Bahrain | Bangi | 2022 |
| 10 | 94* | 40 | Aaron Jones | USA | Canada | Dallas | 2024 |
| 10 | 97* | 38 | Tim Seifert | New Zealand | Pakistan | Wellington | 2025 |
