Cricket fans were treated to a thrilling start as New Zealand clashed with Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy opener. The spotlight was firmly on New Zealand’s Will Young, who delivered a remarkable performance by hitting his maiden century in the tournament. Young crafted an impressive 107 runs off just 108 balls, an innings laced with 11 well-placed fours and a booming six. This effort was central to steering his team to what turned out to be a match-winning total of 320/5.
New Zealand found themselves in a challenging position early on, reduced to 73/3. The side needed a stabilizing partnership, and that’s when Young, alongside Tom Latham, stepped up in style. Latham remained unbeaten with an outstanding 118* runs. Together, they patiently and skillfully rebuilt the innings, ensuring that New Zealand had a formidable score to defend.
Pakistan’s response was significantly impacted by the injury to key opener Fakhar Zaman, who was forced to bat lower down at No. 4. This adjustment in the batting order left the team struggling in the early overs. Despite valiant efforts by captain Babar Azam, who scored 64, and Khushdil Shah’s 69, the target proved elusive.
New Zealand's spinners played a pivotal role in breaking Pakistan's momentum. Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner were particularly effective, claiming three wickets each. Bracewell’s figures were a tidy 3/47, while Santner managed 3/66, both contributing to restricting Pakistan to 260 runs.
This victory was not only significant for young Will but was also a historical win for New Zealand, marking their first Champions Trophy triumph over Pakistan since the year 2000. Their part in cricket history was cemented with a strong performance from both the batters and bowlers, promising an exciting tournament ahead.