"Privilege to play for NZ": James Neesham following his match winning spell in fifth T20I against Pakistan

Wellington : After his match-winning performance in the fifth T20I against Pakistan, New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham expressed his feelings after getting a chance to represent his country in the sport of cricket at national level.

James Neesham was awarded Player of the Match for his exceptional bowling performance in the last match of the series. The fast bowler snapped five wickets in his four overs where he conceded 22 runs. In his spell, the 34-year-old grabbed the wickets of skipper Salman Agha, Abdul Samad, Shadab Khan, Jahandad Singh and Sufiyan Muqeem.

"You don't get too many wickets in franchise cricket. The opening bowlers helped us. Always a privilege to play for NZ. Always jump in to play for this side. Always keen for the opportunity. More than happy to see the guys at the top to smack it around," James Neesham said in the post-match presentation.

Tim Seifert played a blissful inning of 97 runs in just 37 bowls, with ten sixes and six fours, striking at 255, Neesham was the pick of the bowler in the Kiwi innings in his four overs he gave away 22 runs and took five wickets.

With this win, the Blackcaps confirmed their triumph in the five-match series against the Men in Green with a score of 4-1. Neesham received the Player of the Match honour for his five wickets, while Siefert was presented with the Player of the Series accolade for his outstanding batting display over the five matches.

Sufiyan Muqeem was the standout bowler for Pakistan, claiming two wickets and conceding only six runs in two overs of his spell. In addition to him, all the other bowlers from Pakistan struggled against the Kiwi batters.