Mark Chapman was ‘out’ before his innings got a surprising revival. That would be an apt way to describe the turn of events experienced by the 28-year-old New Zealand batter, who is currently in Pakistan with the touring Black Caps side.
Initially selected only for the T20 leg of New Zealand’s tour, Chapman was asked to stay back for the five-match ODI series as well considering his red-hot form. But that was after Chapman had checked out of his hotel room in Rawalpindi and was preparing to leave for home after helping his team draw the T20 series 2-2 on Monday.
“I had to check back into my room,” Chapman, who made his international debut for Hong Kong in 2014 before moving to New Zealand, said. “I already had paid my bill and checked out.
“I got back here, had to get another room key... Same room, thankfully. So, it feels like home.”
Chapman was dismissed only once in five innings and racked up 290 runs — a record tally for a five-match T20 series — and was named Player of the Series.
New Zealand are touring without regular skipper Kane Williamson, who is sidelined with a knee injury sustained in the Indian Premier League, while several others are busy honouring franchise commitments in that tournament.
Chapman played the last of his seven ODIs against Scotland in July last year.
Sustaining the prolific run against Pakistan’s formidable attack would boost his selection chances for the ODI World Cup in India later this year, but Chapman is not thinking that far ahead.
“To be honest, I haven’t really thought too much about that,” he said.
“We’ve got a five-match one-day series ahead of us. That’s our primary focus at the moment.”
Match-winning knock
Chapman’s latest superman knock came on Monday, when he hit an unbeaten 104 off 57 balls as New Zealand chased down a target of 194 to beat Pakistan by six wickets in the fifth T20I in Rawalpindi.
Chapman played the biggest role in the Black Caps drawing the series 2-2 after being 0-2 down initially.
The Blacks Caps looked in deep water at 73/4 in reply to Pakistan’s 193/5 but Chapman and all-rounder Jimmy Neesham, who scored 45 not out, combined to get the visitors over the line with four balls to spare and no further losses.
It was New Zealand’s second-highest successful run chase in T20s and all the more notable for being achieved by a weakened team led by a stand-in coach against a bowling attack that fired Pakistan to the final of last year’s World Cup.
“I think we were a little bit under the pump there after the first 10 overs of our innings,” Neesham told reporters after the match.
“Myself and Chappy decided we’d either go down fighting and get bowled out or give it a good crack. I think Chappy batted outstandingly, he’s been hitting the ball beautifully over the last two or three weeks.
Written with inputs from Reuters
Ireland scale 'highest' peak
Ireland’s Curtis Campher celebrating during his 111-run knock in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Tuesday. Twitter
Galle: Ireland took full advantage of ideal batting conditions and a tired Sri Lankan bowling attack to pile up 492 all out before the hosts responded by reaching 81/0 at stumps on Day II of the second Test on Tuesday.
Nishan Madushka was unbeaten on 41 in only his third Test match and Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Kurunaratne remained not out on 39 when play was suspended 30 minutes before the scheduled close due to bad light and rain.
Earlier, Ireland reached their highest Test score by a distance, surpassing their previous best of 339 against Pakistan in 1998 in Dublin.
The Sri Lankan bowling looked uninspired for the best part of the day and was sent on a leather hunt by Paul Stirling (103) and Curtis Campher (111), both of whom scored their maiden centuries.
They joined Kevin O’Brien and Lorcan Tucker as Irish Test centurions in the country’s short Test cricket history.
Although they lost Tucker for 80 early in the day, bowled by Vishwa Fernando, the Irish counter-attack continued with Stirling and Campher dominating the morning session. Stirling then fell soon after hitting his ton.
Brief scores: Ireland 492 (Andy Balbirnie 95, Paul Stirling 103, Curtis Campher 111; Prabath Jayasuriya 5/174). Sri Lanka 81/0. At stumps, Day II.
AP/PTI
