New Zealand seal ODI series as Ben Sears’ five-for sinks Pakistan by 84 runs
New Zealand clinched the three-match ODI series against Pakistan with an 84-run victory in the second match, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead. The hosts will now target a clean sweep in the final ODI at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on 5 April.
After being asked to bat, New Zealand recovered from a series of wickets to post a formidable 298-run total. Mitchell Hay anchored the innings with an unbeaten 99, while Muhammad Abbas contributed a valuable 41. Contributions throughout the batting order helped New Zealand approach the 300-run mark despite Pakistan’s bowlers taking regular wickets.
Hay named Player of the Match
Hay said reaching a century was not on his mind as he focused on taking the innings deep. He credited Muhammad Abbas for helping build a crucial partnership and said the performance had given him confidence going forward.
Pakistan’s chase quickly unravelled in the overcast conditions. New Zealand’s pace attack extracted extra bounce and sustained pressure from the opening over, with Will O'Rourke making the first breakthrough and Jacob Duffy dismissing Babar Azam among his two early wickets. The pair repeatedly unsettled Pakistan’s batters with tight lines and short-pitched deliveries.
Ben Sears then changed the match decisively, taking two wickets in his first over before returning to complete a maiden ODI five-wicket haul. Nathan Smith also claimed a wicket, while Duffy added another as Pakistan lost control of the chase.
Pakistan’s batting collapse left eight players unable to reach double figures. Faheem Ashraf offered resistance with a superb 73 from 80 balls, and concussion substitute Naseem Shah produced a spirited half-century, but the recovery came too late. Naseem was eventually caught behind by Hay off Sears, ending the match and completing New Zealand’s 84-run win.
Haris Rauf was forced to retire hurt after suffering a concussion, adding to Pakistan’s difficult afternoon. Sufiyan Muqeem and Mohammad Wasim had taken two wickets each during New Zealand’s innings, but Pakistan’s senior batters again failed to deliver in the key moments.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan admitted that his side had struggled to apply itself in challenging conditions. He said the team had lost the plot in the final 10 overs of New Zealand’s innings, when Hay struck important boundaries, and acknowledged that New Zealand had used its home conditions better.
New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell praised Hay’s innings and Sears’ decisive spell. He said the team’s inexperienced squad had been encouraged to play naturally and insisted that the hosts would not ease off in the final match as they pursue a series clean sweep.