Mark Chapman (facing) and Daryl Mitchell (Photo Credit: @BLACKCAPS on X) Mark Chapman delivered an outstanding innings of 132 runs, whilst Nathan Smith secured four wickets on Saturday, leading New Zealand to a convincing 73-run victory against Pakistan in the opening one-day international at Napier. Chapman's personal-best score was instrumental in New Zealand posting a substantial total of 344-9 at McLean Park, before Pakistan's initially promising run chase ended at 271 all out in the 44th over. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW! The visiting team appeared well-positioned at 249-3, requiring 96 runs for victory with more than 11 overs at their disposal. However, Smith's impressive bowling figures of 4-60 triggered a dramatic collapse, with Pakistan losing their final seven wickets for a mere 22 runs. Babar Azam led Pakistan's batting with 78 runs from 83 deliveries, but his departure triggered a significant downturn.
Despite Salman Agha's resilient 58 runs from 48 balls, his effort was undermined by careless shot selections from the tail-end batters, allowing New Zealand to secure a lead in the three-match series. Chapman's outstanding innings of 111 balls, which included 13 boundaries and four sixes, helped New Zealand recover from their early struggles after being sent in to bat at 50-3. The southpaw formed a substantial 199-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Daryl Mitchell, who scored 76 from 84 balls, before debutant all-rounder Muh.
