New Zealand opened the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with a commanding victory over Pakistan, showcasing exceptional batting performances from Will Young and Tom Latham.
On February 19, 2025, at the National Stadium in Karachi, the New Zealand batters dominated the game. Winning the toss, New Zealand elected to bat first after losing the initial toss to Pakistan's captain Mohammad Rizwan.
Despite losing two early wickets cheaply, the team's recovery was spearheaded by Will Young, who made 107 runs from 113 balls, and Tom Latham, whose superb innings of 118 not out from 104 balls helped propel New Zealand to an impressive total of 320 runs for 5 wickets.
Young’s century marked his first on the ODI stage, and he looked solid throughout the innings. His astute shot selection and controlled aggression powered his team out of early trouble. His innings included 12 boundaries and one six. Meanwhile, Latham, batting at number five, brought experience and flair to the table, smashing 10 fours and 3 sixes, demonstrating his ability to dominate the bowling attack.
The pair built a formidable partnership, and their contributions were instrumental as New Zealand steadily built their score. Even when the innings wobbled at 73 runs with three wickets down, their partnership of 118 for the fourth wicket laid the foundation for New Zealand’s eventual total.
Adding depth to the batting order was Glenn Phillips, who came to the crease later, contributing 61 runs off 39 balls with 4 sixes and 3 fours. His explosive batting helped New Zealand surpass the 300-run mark, which they reached comfortably.
On the bowling side, Pakistan’s star pacer Shaheen Afridi had little to showcase, going wicketless through his ten overs and conceding 68 runs. Pakistani bowlers Nassem Shah and Haris Rauf managed to capture two wickets each but struggled with their economy rates, which proved catastrophic against the rampaging New Zealand batting lineup.
Creating history, Tom Latham became the third wicketkeeper-batsman to score a century in the Champions Trophy, joining the likes of former cricketing legends Andy Flower of Zimbabwe and Kumar Sangakkara from Sri Lanka. Latham's innings was particularly significant as it marked his first ODI century since 2023, after enduring 784 days without crossing the century mark.
Latham felt the pressure, especially after falling short against Pakistan by just two runs back in April 2023 when he scored 98. He expressed his relief and joy at finally achieving this milestone against the same opponent, saying, "I’m glad to have gotten this hundred out of the way, especially against Pakistan, who had pushed me to the edge before." This statement underscored the emotional weight of his performance.
This match also represented the first of its kind where two New Zealand batsmen achieved centuries during the same game, a feat reminiscent of past performances where such records usually remained elusive. This was only the fifth time this accomplishment had ever been achieved during the Champions Trophy. Previously, players like Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly had set the precedence for their explosive century performances.
New Zealand’s total of 320 set Pakistan with the formidable target of 321 runs to chase. Despite the lofty target, where Pakistan's inning commenced with determination, the required run rate steadily climbed as wickets began to fall.
At the halfway mark, Pakistan had lost four wickets for just 127 runs, creating challenges for their strong batting lineup. New Zealand’s bowling attack, disciplined and accurate, applied pressure throughout Pakistan’s innings.
Match conditions were challenging, yet the outcomes emphasized the significant skill gap exhibited on the day. Pakistans' batting lineup struggled against New Zealand's comprehensive bowling strategy, leading to missed opportunities and poor shot selections.
Insights from the match coach of New Zealand, Gary Stead emphasized the resilience shown after early disappointments. He noted, "Our top-order failed, but Will and Tom steadied the ship and put up the score on board going forward, which made the difference. Their performance lays down clear markers for the rest of the tournament."
Overall, the day belonged to the New Zealand spinners, and their disciplined efforts helped restrict Pakistan beyond reach, resulting in celebrated performances for Young and Latham.
The expected high pressures from two fierce competition teams manifested well within the game. Debates will follow over the performance outputs, but New Zealand showed exemplary cricketing prowess. Fans and analysts will now closely follow how this early success sets the tone for the remainder of the tournament.