Sun Feb 16 06:59:30 UTC 2025: **New Zealand Wins Tri-Nations Series Final Against Pakistan**
KARACHI, PAKISTAN—New Zealand clinched the tri-nations series final with a thrilling five-wicket victory over Pakistan on Friday. Pace bowler Will O’Rourke’s impressive 4-43 spearheaded New Zealand’s bowling performance, restricting Pakistan to 242 in 49.3 overs. Daryl Mitchell (57) and Tom Latham (56) then led the chase, guiding New Zealand to 243-5 in 45.2 overs.
The victory provides a significant confidence boost for New Zealand ahead of their Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan on Wednesday at the same venue. While New Zealand lost early wickets, Mitchell and Latham’s crucial 87-run partnership stabilized the innings. Naseem Shah was Pakistan’s most successful bowler with 2-43.
Pakistan’s innings saw Babar Azam reach the 6,000-run milestone in ODIs, becoming one of the fastest to achieve this landmark. However, despite a 76-ball 46 from Mohammad Rizwan and a 45 from Salman Agha, Pakistan’s batting effort fell short of a challenging total due to the effective bowling of New Zealand’s spinners, Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner expressed satisfaction with the win, highlighting the team’s ability to perform under pressure. Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged New Zealand’s strong bowling performance, stating that their bowlers kept Pakistan under pressure, contributing to a final score 15 runs short of their target.
First Piper 