Umar Gul bulldozed the Kiwis with a sensational five-wicket haul as Pakistan thumped New Zealand by six wickets to keep their semifinal hopes alive in the Twenty20 World Cup here today. Gul's incredible fast bowling spell of five wickets for six runs resulted in the Kiwi's complete demolition as they were bundled out for a paltry 99 in 18.3 overs after deciding to bat in their Super Eight match at the Oval here last night.
Gul, introduced as late as in the 13th over, wreaked havoc in his three-over spell and emerged as the first bowler to claim five wickets in Twenty20 Internationals. Abdul Razzaq (2/17), playing his first match for Pakistan after quitting Indian Cricket League, celebrated his return to the national side by rocking the Kiwi top-order at the start.
Pakistan almost made a mess of an easy chase before reaching the target of 100 runs with 6.5 overs to spare. The victory has strengthened Pakistan's chances of making it to the semifinals as they play minnows Ireland tomorrow.
Shahzaib Hasan (35) and Kamran Akmal (19) began the chase in right earnest, putting up 36 runs in 4.2 overs but the departure of the latter triggered a mini collapse. Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori (2/20) dismissed Abdul Razzaq (5) and Shoaib Malik (4) to jolt the Pakistani camp.
However, skipper Younis Khan (6 not out) and Sahid Afridi (29 not out) saw the team through with a 29-run partnership.
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