KARACHI, Feb 14: Will O’Rourke’s four-wicket haul, followed by half-centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham, led New Zealand to win the tri-nation ODI series by defeating hosts Pakistan by five wickets here at the National Bank Stadium on Friday.
Chasing a modest 243-run target, the visitors comfortably knocked the winning runs for the loss of five wickets and 28 balls to spare.
The Blackcaps, however, got off to a contrasting start to the pursuit as their opener Will Young (five) fell victim to Naseem Shah in the second over with just five runs on the board. Following the early hiccup, Kane Williamson put together an anchoring 71-run partnership for the second wicket with Devon Conway to put his side in a comfortable position.
For Pakistan, Naseem took two wickets, while Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Agha shared three between them.
Opting to bat first, Pakistan managed to accumulate 242 before getting bowled out in 49.3 overs despite an anchoring fourth-wicket partnership between skipper Mohammad Rizwan and all-rounder Salman Ali Agha.
Will O’Rourke was the standout bowler for New Zealand, taking four wickets for 43 runs in 9.3 overs, while Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner bagged two each. (Agencies)
