LAHORE: In the first match of the tri-nation series, New Zealand defeated the host nation, Pakistan, by 78 runs. The match was played at Gaddafi Stadium, where New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and decided to bat first.
New Zealand’s openers, Will Young and Rachin Ravindra, started the innings, but Shaheen Afridi dismissed Will Young on the very first ball with a catch behind the stumps. Then, at a total of 39 runs, Abrar Ahmed dismissed Rachin Ravindra.
After the two wickets fell, Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell took responsibility and advanced the team’s score. However, at a total of 134 runs, Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Kane Williamson for 58 runs, and then Tom Latham was dismissed for a duck.
Thanks to responsible batting from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips, New Zealand managed to score 330 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in the allotted 50 overs. Glenn Phillips played an aggressive unbeaten innings of 106 runs, scoring his century off 72 balls, while Daryl Mitchell contributed 81 runs.
For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi took three wickets, Abrar Ahmed claimed two, and Haris Rauf took one wicket. Haris Rauf had to leave the field during his seventh over due to pain.
In pursuit of the target, Fakhar Zaman started aggressively, but he received no support from other batters. Babar Azam scored 10, Kamran Akmal made 18, and Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed for 3. Fakhar Zaman also fell for 84 runs off 69 balls. After his departure, Salman Agha scored 40, and Tayyab Tahir made 30. Pakistan’s entire team was bowled out for 252 runs, losing by 78 runs. However, Haris Rauf could not come out to bat.
Santner took three wickets, while Bracewell and Matt Henry each claimed two wickets. The second match of the tri-nation series will be played between New Zealand and South Africa on Monday in Lahore.
