LAHORE: Glenn Phillips scored a fiery unbeaten ton after Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell’s fifties to help New Zealand set a 331-run target for Pakistan in the tri-nation series opener on Saturday.
Phillips remained unbeaten on 106 off 74 balls, hitting seven sixes and six fours as New Zealand finished the inning with 330 over the loss of six wickets.
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first in the first PAK vs NZ game of the series ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025.
The tourists were off to a shaky start as pacer Shaheen Afridi dismissed Will Young in the very first over of the first PAK vs NZ game.
His opening partner Rachin Ravindra was caught and bowled by spinner Abrar Ahmed, leaving the side struggling at 39 for two in 7.4 overs.
However, experienced batters Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell stitched a 95-run partnership to take New Zealand to 134 in 26.1 overs.
The former New Zealand captain was undone by Shaheen Afridi after he scored 58 off 89 balls.
Pacer Haris Rauf then dismissed wicketkeeping batter Tom Latham for a duck, bringing Glenn Phillips to the crease, who built a 65-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell.
Mitchell fell to Abrar Ahmed after an 81-run knock, laced with four sixes and two fours.
Michael Bracewell then joined Phillips and the two took New Zealand to 200 in 37.4 overs before the former became Shaheen Afridi’s third victim after scoring 31 off 23 balls.
Glenn Phillips then launched a late-inning onslaught on the Pakistan bowling lineup and remained unbeaten on 106 off 74 deliveries to take New Zealand to 330 in 50 overs.
It is to be noted here that Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan has said that Babar Azam will open the inning with left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman in the first PAK vs NZ game.
The decision to make the former Pakistan captain open the inning comes amid regular opener Saim Ayub’s absence from the Pakistan squad for the tri-nation series and the following Champions Trophy 2025.
Pakistan Playing XI:
Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, (c) (wk), Tayyab Tahir, Salman Agha, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed.
New Zealand Playing XI:
Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Ben Sears, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke.
