New Zealand secured a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the tri-nation series final with Will O’Rourke taking four wickets while Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham scored half-centuries.
O’Rourke’s impressive 4-43 helped restrict Pakistan to 242 runs in 49.3 overs. Mitchell’s quick 57 runs off 58 balls guided New Zealand to chase down the target, reaching 243-5 in 45.2 overs at Karachi’s National stadium.
The win provides New Zealand momentum before their Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan at the same venue next Wednesday.
New Zealand’s chase began with an early setback as Will Young fell for five runs to Naseem Shah. Devon Conway and Kane Williamson stabilised the innings with a 71-run partnership.
The partnership broke when Williamson was dismissed for 34 runs while attempting to charge spinner Salman Agha. Conway followed soon after, falling to Naseem Shah for 48 runs.
Mitchell and Latham’s partnership proved crucial as they added 87 runs for the fourth wicket. Mitchell’s innings ended with 57 runs, including six boundaries.
Latham scored 56 runs off 64 balls with five fours, while Glenn Phillips remained unbeaten on 20. Naseem Shah emerged as Pakistan’s best bowler with figures of 2-43.
Earlier, Pakistan’s batting struggled on a challenging pitch with variable bounce. Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell supported O’Rourke well, taking two wickets each.
Mohammad Rizwan led Pakistan’s batting with 46 runs, while Salman Agha contributed 45 runs.
Pakistan lost early wickets with Fakhar Zaman and Saud Shakeel departing for 10 and 8 runs respectively.
Babar Azam reached a milestone of 6,000 ODI runs during his innings of 29, matching Hashim Amla’s record of achieving this feat in 123 innings.
Rizwan and Agha attempted to rebuild with an 88-run partnership, but both fell within quick succession.
Tayyab Tahir’s quick 38 runs provided some late momentum. Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah’s partnership of 39 runs helped Pakistan cross the 240-run mark.
Rizwan’s innings included four boundaries and a six, while Tayyab’s knock featured similar attacking shots. The Pakistani batting lineup struggled to post a challenging total despite these contributions.