Pakistan’s start in the Champions Trophy 2025 was not at all worth remembering. Their famed bowling line-up came under pressure. Fluent hundreds by opener Will Young and skipper Tom Latham powered New Zealand to a competitive 320 for five against hosts and defending champions Pakistan in the Champions Trophy opener on Wednesday. Young compiled an important innings of 107 off 113 balls, while Latham remained unbeaten on 118. Glenn Phillips then blazed away to a 39-ball 61 to prop up the Kiwi innings at the National Stadium. Young struck 12 fours and one six, while Latham batted through the innings to strike 10 boundaries and three maximums. Young played anchor after Pakistan elected to field first and had New Zealand reeling at 40 for two and then 73 for three in the 17th over.
Young fast bowler Naseem Shah got the prized wicket of Kane Williamson who was caught behind for a single digit score for the first time in his last 35 ODI outings.
Making a comeback to the team after an injury that had kept him out of the recently-held tri-series, Haris Rauf had Daryl Mitchell mistiming a pull shot to leave the visitors in trouble.
Opener Devon Conway was the first wicket to fall on a pitch which clearly has some grip in it for the spinners, as Abrar Ahmed, brought in the eighth over, used a carom ball to beat the southpaw.
With three wickets gone with not many runs on the board, Young, who is playing only because of an injury to Rachin Ravindra, steadied the ship in partnership with Latham as they put on 118 runs for the fourth wicket.
Pakistan, depending on one specialist spinner, three pace bowlers, and two part-time spinners in Khushdil Shah and Salman Agha, just didn’t have the penetration to break the partnership.
After Young fell while looking to open up after sweeping his way to his fourth one-day hundred, Latham and Phillips went after the Pakistan bowling in the final 10 overs.
Latham, who scored his eighth ODI hundred, and Phillips walloped Abrar and Haris for 32 runs in the 44th and 45th overs. In the 47th over, Shaheen Shah Afridi was smashed for 18 runs. Mohammad Rizwan could be seen comforting Abrar after he was hit for 16 in one over by Tom Latham.
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Phillips, who fell in the final over to Haris while trying a reverse scoop shot, did the maximum damage with four sixes and three fours.
Rauf was the most expensive bowler, conceding 83 runs in his 10 overs for two wickets.
Earlier, President Asif Zardari opened the tournament and was introduced to both teams by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi and ICC officials.
The crowd turnout at the start of the match was not as high as anticipated but as the weather improved, the stadium was getting packed with spectators eager to watch a major ICC event in the country for the first time since 1996.
With PTI inputs
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