New Zealand Wins Against Pakistan: New Zealand won the second One Day International (ODI) against Pakistan by 84 runs at Seddon Park on Wednesday. This victory gave them a 2-0 lead in the three-match series, making it impossible for Pakistan to win the series.
New Zealand Wins Against Pakistan: Mitchell Hay’s Outstanding Performance
New Zealand Wins Against Pakistan was driven by a sensational innings from Mitchell Hay, who played brilliantly and remained unbeaten at 99 runs. His outstanding performance provided a strong foundation for the team, helping them post a competitive total of 292 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Later, New Zealand’s fast bowlers showcased their dominance, making it extremely difficult for Pakistan to chase the target. With disciplined and aggressive bowling, they managed to dismantle the visiting team’s batting lineup, eventually bowling them out for just 208 runs. This comprehensive performance secured a convincing win for New Zealand.
Pakistan Wins Toss but Struggles
Pakistan’s captain, Mohammad Rizwan, won the toss and decided to bowl first under cloudy conditions. The decision seemed risky when New Zealand’s opening batsmen, Rhys Mariu and Nick Kelly, started strong, scoring more than 50 runs in just six overs with aggressive stroke play, leading to New Zealand’s eventual victory, marking their win against Pakistan.
However, fast bowler Haris Rauf gave Pakistan hope by dismissing Kelly in the seventh over. Soon after, Babar Azam took a sharp catch to remove Mariu, and New Zealand was at 97/2 in the 15th over.
Pakistan’s left-arm spinner, Sufiyan Muqeem, then took two quick wickets, dismissing Daryl Mitchell and Henry Nicholls. This left New Zealand struggling at 135/4.
Hay and Abbas Build a Crucial Partnership
At a crucial stage in the match, New Zealand Wins Against Pakistan was defined by Mitchell Hay and Muhammad Abbas forming a strong 77-run partnership. Abbas, who was playing his first match, took his time and scored 20 runs from 52 balls. Meanwhile, Hay patiently built his innings before launching an aggressive attack in the final overs, scoring 49 runs off Mohammad Wasim Jr’s last three overs, helping New Zealand reach 292/8.
Among Pakistan’s bowlers, Sufiyan Muqeem performed the best, taking 2 wickets for just 33 runs in his 10 overs. Mohammad Wasim Jr, playing his first match of the series, took 2 wickets but gave away 78 runs in his 10 overs in the match where New Zealand Wins Against Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Batting Collapse
“New Zealand Wins Against Pakistan: Chasing 293, Pakistan faced early trouble. New Zealand’s fast bowlers, Jacob Duffy and Will O’Rourke, dismissed Abdullah Shafique (1), Babar Azam (1), and Imam-ul-Haq (3) within six overs. This left Pakistan struggling at 9/3.”
Ben Sears continued the attack, taking the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan (5) and Salman Ali Agha (9), reducing Pakistan to 32/5 in just 12 overs.
Naseem Shah and Faheem Ashraf Fight Back
Pakistan’s problems increased when Haris Rauf was hit by a short ball from O’Rourke and had to leave the field due to a concussion. He was replaced by Naseem Shah, who played an impressive innings.
Naseem scored his first-ever ODI half-century (51 runs off 44 balls) and formed a strong 60-run partnership with Faheem Ashraf, who made 73 runs from 80 balls. However, their efforts were not enough to win the game.
Sears took the wicket of Faheem, and soon after, Naseem was caught while attempting a risky shot.
New Zealand’s Fast Bowlers Shine
New Zealand Wins Against Pakistan as their fast bowlers played a key role in the victory. Will O’Rourke gave away only 19 runs while taking one wicket, Jacob Duffy took three wickets for 35 runs, and Ben Sears was the best bowler, taking five wickets for 59 runs. Their disciplined bowling ensured Pakistan never had a chance to recover.
With this win, New Zealand has already secured the series with one match left to play.
READ MORE:
