In the inaugural encounter in Karachi on Wednesday, Will Young of New Zealand hit the first century of the 2025 Champions Trophy after holding the Pakistani spinners at bay. In an innings that featured 11 fours and one six, the Kiwi batsman needed 107 deliveries to achieve his 100.
Young made it through some nerve-racking moments before surpassing the century mark, especially when he was on 87 and a run-out shout was thrown against him. Replays, however, revealed that he had crossed the crease with ease. However, he was relieved when the throw missed the stumps at the non-striker’s end when he was on 99 and out of his crease.
When the Black Caps lost three wickets early, Young was a pillar of support. Two of those wickets, Kane Williamson and Devon Conway, the first two for New Zealand, went in five deliveries. If Rachin Ravindra had been healthy, Young most likely would have missed this one.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and chose to play against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opening on Wednesday, ending its 29-year wait to host a major International Cricket Council competition.
The Champions Trophy was last played in 2017, and Pakistan is the reigning winner after defeating bitter rival India in the final.
The final major ICC event that Pakistan held was the 1996 World Cup, which it co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka.
After defeating South Africa and Pakistan in the tri-nation series last week, New Zealand is feeling quite well and is used to the conditions at the recently renovated Karachi stadium.
With all of the top-order batsmen among runs, New Zealand has positioned itself well for the Champions Trophy, even if they lost two key fast bowlers, Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears, to injury. Additionally, the opposition has been effectively restricted in the middle overs by the Black Caps spinners, who are headed by Mitchell Santner’s left-arm spin.
Rachin Ravindra, the opening batsman for New Zealand, was also sidelined for the first game because the left-hander is still healing from a blow to his forehead that occurred during the tri-nation series opener in Lahore, one of the three cities in Pakistan hosting the Champions Trophy.
After passing a fitness test, Haris Rauf, a fast bowler for Pakistan who missed the final two games of the tri-nation series due to a side strain, was called up to replace all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.
Since winning the tournament’s first edition in 1998, New Zealand has defeated Pakistan in all three of its Champions Trophy matches in 2000, 2006, and 2009.
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