New Zealand makes 344-9 after batting first in the opening ODI against Pakistan

By Canadian Press on March 28, 2025.

NAPIER, New Zealand (AP) — Mark Chapman scored 132 and Daryl Mitchell 76 in a 199-run partnership which lifted New Zealand after a difficult start to 344-9 as it batted first Saturday in the opening one-day international against Pakistan.

Chapman made 94 in the fourth Twenty20 international between the teams to a third one-day international century. With Mitchell he rebuilt the innings after New Zealand had been three wickets down in the 13th over and struggling against bounce and swing from the Pakistan fast bowlers.

Mohammad Abbas, the first Pakistan-born player to play for New Zealand, made 50 from 24 balls on debut.

Pakistan went into the match with four seam bowlers who prospered when captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and decided to bowl.

There were patches of grass on the pitch at McLean Park and the ball moved more than is usual at the venue where the average first-innings score in ODIs is 244. Naseem Shah and Akif Javed used the conditions superbly..

Opener Will Young played late at a ball from Naseem in the third over and edged the ball to Salman Ali Agha at second slip. Nick Kelly on debut mad 15 from 29 balls before being bowled by Akif who hit a perfect length and fired the ball between bat and pad.

Runs were coming slowly when Chapman was joined at the crease by Mitchell. New Zealand was 36-2 after the first 10 over power play and reached 50 from 12. 2 overs. It was 75-3 after 20 overs and 104-3 at the midpoint of the innings.

Rizwan was forced to go to Mohammad Irfan Khan, a part-time medium pacer who hadn’t bowled in eight previous one-day internationals and who dismissed both Chapman and Mitchell.

Mitchell fell in the 42nd over, caught by Rizwan behind the stumps Chapman was caught superbly on the boundary by Tayyab Tahir. His 132 came from 111 balls.

Pakistan lost the preceding five-match T20 series 4-1 by margins of nine wickets, five wickets, 115 runs and eight wickets as batters struggled to adapt to bouncy New Zealand pitches.

The second match in the three-match ODI series is next Wednesday in Hamilton.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

The Associated Press