Latham, Mitchell fifties take NZ to tri-series title after bowlers restrict Pakistan
O'Rourke took four wickets, while Santner and Bracewell got two each, just days before teams meet in Champions Trophy opener
O'Rourke took four wickets, while Santner and Bracewell got two each, just days before teams meet in Champions Trophy opener
Scorer: Sudeep Poojar | Commentator: Ashish Pant
Mitchell Santner goes up to collect the winner's trophy. He is joined by his team-mates. All smiles in the camp as they pose with the trophy. An important box ticked for them as they head into the Champions Trophy which begins in five days at this very venue. We will be in nice and early for when that starts. Till then, this is me Ashish Pant, signing off on behalf of Deivarayan Muthu, Sudeep and Thilak. Ciao!
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner: [Ticked the boxes?] I guess so. It is nice to win tonight. Different guys stepping up at different times is good. It means nothing till we play that first game at the CT. [Pitch] It was a bit slower than what we thought it would be. We just wanted to put in a good spot and build pressure. If we take wickets up front, it makes the job easier in the middle. [O'Rourke] When he is swinging the ball like that, he is a problem for batters. The batting powerplay is important. It's always a challenge with the new ball. Dufs [Duffy] also bowled well. [On Latham] He is pretty relieved as well. We know how good he is and it was just a matter of time. It was nice for different guys to fire as well.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan: [Bat first] We wanted to bat first because we thought in the second half, the pitch would be tough. But their bowlers put a squeeze on us. We were looking to target 280 but they got it back. We were 15 runs short. They were bowling very well. Me and Agha were trying to build the stand. We tried doing that, but they were not giving us the balls. We kept the target to 280, not 300. My wicket was crucial. [Fielding] We have to bring the improvement. This is one department we are lacking. [Abrar] He has really improved. The others have to improve as well. [CT'25] We wanted to prepare for the 19th as well. So that is why we wanted to bat first as well.
Salman Agha is the player of the series: I am batting well. We wanted to win, but that didn't happen. The focus will be on the CT. [Surface] This can be expected from Karachi. One wicket will be a belter, one will be two paced. I love batting. It was a challenging pitch to bat on. The pitch was gripping. It was a 280-290 wicket. We were 30 runs short. But my wicket and then Rizwan's wicket took the game away from us.
Will O'Rourke is the player of the match for his 4 for 43: [First spell] There was a nice breeze coming across and it helped me push the ball across the left-hander. The pitch was two paced and I just tried to whack the wicket hard. [Second spell] Pretty similar. Heavy length. I wanted to get something out of the wicket. [Lead up to the CT'25] The boys are playing nicely and to get into a big tournament with momentum is nice. [Bowl faster?] Not sure about that. Will try my best.
Presentation time
Here's a stat from Shubham Agarwal:
New Zealand vs Pakistan in tournament finals 1996 - lost by 41 runs 2003 - won by 4 wickets 2025 - won by 5 wickets
9.37pm All smiles in the NZ change room. What a comprehensive win for them and what a way to announce their readiness for the Champions Trophy. Three games in the series, three easy wins for them. Twice against Pakistan, once against South Africa. They will play Pakistan again in five days, right here and the confidence of these wins will surely keep them in good stead. The win was set up by the bowlers, who restricted Pakistan to 242. Devon Conway, Kane Williamson gave NZ a good start before the Mitchell-Latham stand took them closer. Latham had his chances but got back to his run-scoring self and that is excellent news for NZ. Nothing really went to plan for Pakistan and they need to iron out a few things before the CT opener on the 19th. Do hang around for the presentation.
Sufyan: "My MOM is Mitch Santner for his 20/2 in 10 overs, he led his team from the front, deserved winner of trophy."
Scores level
Faheem Ashraf back on from over the wicket
Jim: "Will Mitchell, Latham or Wides be POTM?"
rssampat: "A Hat-Trick to bring a little bit of surprise element back in this game??"
After the innings in which he got to 6000, Babar's batting average stood at 55.73 - the highest for any batter at that point
Sears felt pain in his left hamstring at New Zealand's training session in Karachi on Wednesday
O'Rourke took four wickets, while Santner and Bracewell got two each, just days before teams meet in Champions Trophy opener
New Zealand have been the best team on view, but Pakistan come into the final on a high after a massive batting performance against South Africa