Young & Latham’s Centuries Lead New Zealand to Opening Win Over Pakistan
New Zealand made a strong start to the ICC Champions Trophy with centuries from Will Young and Tom Latham, securing a convincing victory in the opening match.
Pakistan’s hopes took a major hit when captain Babar Azam mistimed a sweep off Mitchell Santner and sent a simple catch to Kane Williamson inside the circle. As the home team’s best batter walked back, disappointed fans began to leave the stadium, sensing the inevitable.
Khushdil Shah fought bravely to keep Pakistan in the game, but his efforts weren’t enough. New Zealand claimed a 60-run victory in Karachi on Wednesday to start their campaign on a high note.
Batting first, the Kiwis posted an imposing total of 320/5, thanks to Young (107) and Latham (118*). It was the highest total against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, surpassing India’s 319 in 2017.
Chasing 321, Pakistan collapsed despite fifties from Babar (64) and Khushdil (69), getting bowled out for 260 with 16 balls to spare.
This marked New Zealand’s third consecutive win over Pakistan, having also beaten them twice in a recent tri-series final.
Historic Innings from Young & Latham
Before this match, Stephen Fleming’s 96 against Zimbabwe in 1998 was New Zealand’s highest individual score in Champions Trophy history. That changed as both Young and Latham reached three figures in the same game—only the fifth time this has happened in tournament history.
Latham, playing his first-ever Champions Trophy match, brought up his century after nearly two years and 79 international games without one. His unbeaten 118 came off 104 balls. Young, who scored the first century of the tournament, struck 107 off 113 deliveries.
The last time two batters from the same team scored centuries in a Champions Trophy match was when Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah did it against New Zealand in the previous edition.
New Zealand’s Explosive Finish
After losing Devon Conway (10), Williamson (1), and Daryl Mitchell (10) cheaply, New Zealand found stability through Young and Latham. Young reached his fifty in 56 balls and later converted it into his fourth ODI century.
Once Young fell to Naseem Shah, Latham and Glenn Phillips launched an all-out assault. The pair added 125 runs in just 74 balls, powering New Zealand to a strong finish. The Kiwis smashed 113 runs in the last 10 overs!
Latham reached his century in just 95 balls, needing only 34 deliveries to move from fifty to a hundred. Meanwhile, Phillips blazed to a 34-ball fifty, finishing with 61 off 39 balls (3 fours, 4 sixes).
Pakistan’s Struggles in the Chase
Pakistan’s chase was off to a disastrous start. They lost both openers inside the first 10 overs, managing just 22 runs in the powerplay.
Fakhar Zaman, who had suffered a minor injury while fielding, couldn’t open the innings and was forced to bat lower down the order. Instead, Pakistan sent out Saud Shakeel alongside Babar. The experiment didn’t work—Shakeel managed just 6 runs off 19 balls before falling early.
Mohammad Rizwan (3) didn’t last long either, falling to a spectacular diving catch by Phillips at point. With Pakistan reeling at 47/3, Fakhar finally came out to bat and joined Babar. The two added 47 runs, but their slow approach put Pakistan behind the required rate. Fakhar fell for 24 off 41 balls, and Salman Ali Agha (42 off 28) injected some life into the innings before getting dismissed.
Babar reached his fifty off 81 balls but struggled to accelerate, eventually falling for 64. Khushdil played the only aggressive knock for Pakistan, smashing 69 off 49 balls (10 fours, 1 six), but the target remained too far.
In the end, Pakistan’s tailenders Naseem (13) and Haris Rauf (19) hit a few big shots, but it was too little, too late.
For New Zealand, Santner (3/66) and debutant Will O’Rourke (3/47) were the standout bowlers.
Match Summary
New Zealand: 320/5 in 50 overs (Young 107, Latham 118*, Phillips 61; Naseem 2/63, Rauf 2/83)
Pakistan: 260 in 47.2 overs (Babar 64, Khushdil 69, Salman 42; Santner 3/66, O’Rourke 3/47)
Result: New Zealand won by 60 runs
Player of the Match: Tom Latham
