In the opening match of the Tri-Nation Series, New Zealand defeated host Pakistan by 78 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Chasing a target of 331 runs set by New Zealand, Pakistan’s entire team was dismissed for 252 runs in the 48th over.
New Zealand’s captain, Mitchell Santner, won the toss and elected to bat first.
New Zealand’s Innings
New Zealand’s innings began with Will Young and Rachin Ravindra, but Shaheen Afridi struck early, dismissing Young for a catch behind the stumps in the first over. At a team score of 39, Abrar Ahmed removed Rachin Ravindra, leaving New Zealand at 39 for 2.
Following the early setbacks, Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell steadied the ship, but at 134 runs, Shaheen Afridi dismissed Williamson for 58 runs. Soon after, Tom Latham was sent back to the pavilion without scoring any runs.
Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips played crucial innings, leading New Zealand to a total of 330 runs in their allotted 50 overs, losing six wickets. Phillips remained unbeaten on 106 runs, reaching his century off 72 balls, while Mitchell contributed 81 runs.
For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi claimed three wickets, while Abrar Ahmed took two and Haris Rauf picked up one wicket. Haris Rauf was forced to leave the field due to pain during his seventh over.
Pakistan’s Innings
In pursuit of the target, Fakhar Zaman provided an aggressive start, but none of the other batsmen could support him. Babar Azam made only 10 runs, Kamran Akmal scored 18, and Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed for just 3 runs.
Fakhar Zaman fought valiantly, scoring 84 runs off 69 balls, but he was soon dismissed. Salman Agha (40) and Tayyab Tahir (30) were the other notable contributors. However, Pakistan was all out for 252 runs, and Haris Rauf was unable to bat due to injury. As a result, Pakistan suffered a 78-run defeat.
New Zealand’s Mitchell Henry and Santner each took three wickets, while Bracewell took two.
Glenn Phillips was named Player of the Match for his remarkable innings.
The second match of the Tri-Nation Series will be played between New Zealand and South Africa on Monday in Lahore.
