New Zealand Clinch the Tri-Series with a Clinical Performance

New Zealand prove too strong once again as they cruise to victory in the final. Another big positive for them ahead of the Champions Trophy, with Tom Latham getting among the runs. They appear to be a well-balanced unit, excelling in pace, spin, and batting—everything falling into place at the right time.

Unlike the previous game at this venue, where Pakistan chased down 350, the pitch today was two-paced with the ball not coming on smoothly. Pakistan, after winning the toss, failed to capitalize with the bat. Early wickets put them on the back foot, and the middle overs saw them struggle against spin, with Santner and Bracewell delivering outstanding spells. O'Rourke also deserves a special mention for his brilliant new-ball spell and smart use of cutters at the death. A dominant all-round effort from the Kiwis as they lift the trophy!

New Zealand Clinch the Tri-Series!

Faheem Ashraf to Phillips, wide – A short delivery that sails over Phillips' head, called a wide, and with that, New Zealand seals the victory! A dominant performance as they chase down the target comfortably to win the tri-series.

Score Update After 40 Overs

New Zealand: 204-4

• Tom Latham: 37(49)
• Glenn Phillips: 6(3)

New Zealand in control, edging closer to the target with Latham anchoring the innings!

Score Update After 35 Overs

New Zealand: 160-3

• Tom Latham: 29(38)
• Daryl Mitchell: 28(42)

New Zealand building a solid partnership as they inch closer to the target!

Score Update After 33 Overs

New Zealand: 145-3

• Tom Latham: 17(28)
• Daryl Mitchell: 26(40)

New Zealand steadily progressing in the chase, Pakistan looking for a breakthrough!

Score Update After 28 Overs

New Zealand: 124-3

• Tom Latham: 8(11)
• Daryl Mitchell: 15(27)

Steady partnership building as New Zealand looks to control the chase!

Score Update After 26 Overs

New Zealand: 118-3

• Daryl Mitchell: 12(22)
• Tom Latham: 5(4)

New Zealand rebuilds after losing key wickets, with Latham looking to settle in!

Score Update After 25 Overs

New Zealand: 113-3

• Daryl Mitchell: 11(18)
• Tom Latham: 2(2)

Pakistan has pulled things back with key wickets, and the game is now finely balanced!

Conway Departs as Pakistan Strikes Back

Naseem Shah delivers for Pakistan, dismissing Devon Conway for 48 off 74 balls. A short ball on the stumps tempts Conway into the pull, but he top-edges it straight to Abrar Ahmed at deep backward square leg. Abrar takes a safe reverse-cup catch and tumbles over. A quick no-ball check confirms Naseem was fine, and with both set batters gone, Pakistan is right back in the game!

New Zealand at 107/2 After 24 Overs

New Zealand is progressing steadily at 107/2 after 24 overs. Devon Conway is approaching his fifty, batting on 48 off 73 balls, while Daryl Mitchell is on 9 from 15 deliveries. Pakistan will be eager to break this partnership to regain control of the game.

New Zealand Steady at 85/2 After 20 Overs

New Zealand has reached 85/2 after 20 overs, with Devon Conway anchoring the innings at 33 off 56 balls. Daryl Mitchell is at the crease with 4 off 8 deliveries. Pakistan will be looking to break this partnership soon, while New Zealand aims to build a solid platform for the chase.

Williamson Falls as Pakistan Strikes Back

A crucial breakthrough for Pakistan as Salman Agha cleans up Kane Williamson! The New Zealand skipper looked well-set on 34 off 49 balls but went for an aggressive shot, only to be deceived by the dragged-back length. The ball spun past his bat and crashed into middle and leg, giving Pakistan a much-needed wicket. This could shift the momentum as Pakistan looks to build pressure.

New Zealand Steady After 10 Overs

New Zealand have reached 45-1 at the 10-over mark, maintaining a steady approach in their chase of 243. Kane Williamson is looking composed with 21 off 27 balls, while Devon Conway is settling in with 11 off 26. Pakistan will look to break this partnership soon to put pressure on the Kiwi batting lineup.

Pakistan Bowled Out for 242, New Zealand in Control

Pakistan's innings came to an early end at 242, leaving the New Zealand players visibly pleased as they walked off the field. While a few catches were dropped towards the end, the damage had already been done. The pitch showed signs of being two-paced, and the New Zealand bowlers took full advantage. O'Rourke was particularly effective with his cutters, while the spinners varied their pace to keep Pakistan's batters under pressure.

Pakistan’s batting performance was far from ideal. Their top-order faltered yet again, leaving Rizwan and Agha to do the repair job in the middle overs. However, they struggled to build momentum and eventually succumbed to the increasing pressure of dot balls. Tayyab Tahir and Faheem Ashraf managed some useful lower-order contributions, ensuring Pakistan had something to defend. With conditions possibly improving for batting under lights, Pakistan will hope their bowlers can step up. Stay tuned for the chase!

Score After 21 Overs

PAK 82-3

• Salman Agha: 16*(27)
• Mohammad Rizwan: 12*(37)

Score After 20 Overs

PAK 78-3

• Salman Agha: 14*(24)
• Mohammad Rizwan: 10*(34)

Score After 18 Overs

PAK 69-3

• Mohammad Rizwan: 9*(32)
• Salman Agha: 6*(14)

Score After 16 Overs

PAK 65-3

• Mohammad Rizwan: 8*(25)
• Salman Agha: 3*(9)

Score After 15 Overs

PAK 63-3

• Mohammad Rizwan: 7*(22)
• Salman Agha: 2*(6)

Score After 13 Overs

PAK 57-3

• Mohammad Rizwan: 2*(14)
• Salman Agha: 1*(2)

Babar Azam Falls to Nathan Smith

Massive moment in the game! Nathan Smith gets the prized wicket of Babar Azam with a sharp return catch. A full delivery just outside off, Babar drives straight back but fails to keep it down. Smith reacts quickly, taking a clean catch. Babar drops his bat in disappointment as the crowd falls silent. New Zealand firmly in control now!

Saud Shakeel Bowled by Bracewell

Michael Bracewell strikes in his very first over! A length delivery on off-stump stays low, and Saud Shakeel, looking to cut, is completely beaten. The ball crashes into the off-stump, leaving Shakeel stunned. Pakistan lose their second wicket!

Babar Azam Reaches 6000 ODI Runs

Jacob Duffy delivers a slower ball, too full outside off, and Babar Azam leans forward to time a beautiful drive wide of cover-point for four. With this shot, Babar Azam completes 6000 runs in ODI cricket!

Score After 5 Overs

PAK 23-1

• Babar Azam 9*(15)
• Saud Shakeel 0*(1)

Score After 4 Overs

PAK 16-1

• Babar Azam 3*(8)
• Saud Shakeel 0*(1)

WICKET! Fakhar Zaman Departs

William O'Rourke strikes! Fakhar Zaman goes for an aggressive shot but ends up handing a catch to Will Young. A big breakthrough for New Zealand early in the innings.

Fakhar Zaman c Will Young b William O'Rourke 10(15) [4s-2]

Score After 2 Overs

PAK 11-0
Fakhar Zaman 10*(9)
Babar Azam 1*(3)

Score After 1 Over

PAK 10-0
Fakhar Zaman 10*(6)
Babar Azam 0*(0)