Glenn Phillips' century guides New Zealand to victory over Pakistan in tri-nation series opener

Glenn Phillips’ stunning century, along with Mitchell Santner’s key 3/41 performance, propelled New Zealand to a convincing 78-run victory over Pakistan in the opening match of the tri-nation ODI series at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a daunting target of 331 runs, Pakistan were dismissed for 254 in 47.5 overs, despite Fakhar Zaman’s valiant 84-run knock.

Pakistan got off to a solid start in the chase, with Fakhar and Babar Azam putting together a brisk 52-run partnership. Fakhar was the more aggressive of the two, while Babar batted cautiously before being dismissed by Michael Bracewell on the final delivery of the batting powerplay for just 10 off 23 balls.

Fakhar continued to play an important role for Pakistan, adding 51 runs with Kamran Ghulam for the second wicket. Ghulam struggled to find his rhythm, scoring just 18 off 32 balls. Fakhar later formed a brief partnership with Mohammad Rizwan (three), before he was dismissed in the 24th over.

Fakhar’s defiant 84 off 69 balls, including seven fours and four sixes, remained the highest score for Pakistan.

After Fakhar’s departure, vice-captain Salman Ali Agha led the fightback. He scored a crucial 40 off 51 balls, including two fours and a six, in partnerships with Tayyab Tahir (30) and Khushdil Shah (15). However, Bracewell removed Agha to end his gritty knock.

Abrar Ahmed tried to keep Pakistan's hopes alive with a quickfire 23* off 15 balls, but it wasn’t enough to guide Pakistan to victory. New Zealand’s bowlers, led by Mitchell Santner (3/41) and Matt Henry (3/53), kept Pakistan in check, with Bracewell picking up two wickets.

Earlier, New Zealand posted a strong total of 330/6 in 50 overs after opting to bat. The Black Caps had a shaky start, with Shaheen Shah Afridi removing Will Young (four) early on. However, Kane Williamson (58) and Rachin Ravindra (25) rebuilt the innings, putting on 35 runs before Ravindra fell to Abrar Ahmed.

Williamson then formed a solid partnership with Daryl Mitchell, adding 95 runs for the third wicket. However, Williamson was dismissed for 58 off 89 balls. New Zealand were reduced to 135/4 in 27.1 overs after Haris Rauf dismissed Tom Latham for a duck.

Mitchell, however, stayed firm, scoring 81 off 84 balls, including two fours and four sixes. He added 65 runs with Phillips for the fifth wicket before Mitchell was dismissed by Abrar Ahmed.

Phillips took charge after Mitchell’s dismissal, scoring an unbeaten 106 off 74 balls, including six fours and seven sixes. His innings powered New Zealand past the 300-run mark. Phillips also shared a quick 54-run partnership with Michael Bracewell (31 off 23 balls), helping to further strengthen their total.

Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/88), Abrar Ahmed (2/41), and Haris Rauf (1/23) were the standout bowlers for Pakistan. Despite their efforts, New Zealand’s total proved too much to chase as Pakistan were bowled out for 254.

This victory gives New Zealand a strong start in the tri-nation series, with a solid all-round performance guiding them to a comfortable win.

Playing XI:

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk), Tayyab Tahir, Salman Ali Agha, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Ben Sears, Matt Henry, Will O'Rourke