Half-centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham propelled New Zealand to a five-wicket victory over hosts Pakistan, clinching the tri-nation ODI series at the National Bank Stadium on Friday.
Chasing a target of 243, New Zealand comfortably reached the goal, losing only five wickets and with 28 balls remaining.
For Pakistan, Naseem took two wickets, while Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Salman Ali Agha shared three wickets among them. Despite opting to bat first and a steady fourth-wicket partnership between skipper Mohammad Rizwan and all-rounder Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan was bowled out for 242 in 49.3 overs.
Skipper Mohammad Rizwan and vice-captain Salman Ali Agha once again led the hosts’ scoring efforts, contributing 46 and 45 runs respectively. Late contributions from Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, and Naseem Shah helped Pakistan reach a total of 242.
Pakistan and New Zealand will clash again in five days, on February 19, in the opening game of the Champions Trophy.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk), Tayyab Tahir, Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed.
New Zealand: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy, William ORourke
