New Zealand’s victory comes at the perfect time, giving them a confidence boost ahead of their Champions Trophy opener against the same opponent at this venue on Wednesday.

Their chase got off to a shaky start when opener Will Young was dismissed for just 5 runs in pacer Naseem Shah’s first over. However, Devon Conway (48) and Kane Williamson (34) steadied the innings with a crucial 71-run partnership for the second wicket.

Williamson lost his wicket while attempting an aggressive shot against spinner Salman Agha, and Naseem struck again in his second spell to remove Conway. At 108-3, the chase looked uncertain, but Daryl Mitchell (57) and Tom Latham (56) built a solid 87-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Mitchell was eventually dismissed by off-spinner Abrar Ahmed, caught and bowled, but by then, New Zealand needed just 48 more runs. Latham, alongside Glenn Phillips (20*), calmly finished the chase. Mitchell struck six boundaries, while Latham’s composed 64-ball innings featured five fours.

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For Pakistan, Naseem Shah was the standout bowler, taking 2-43 in his eight-over spell, but the rest of the attack struggled to contain the New Zealand batters.

Earlier, New Zealand’s spinners Mitchell Santner (2-20) and Michael Bracewell (2-38) provided key breakthroughs, ensuring Pakistan couldn’t put up a big total.

Skipper Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 46 off 76 balls, while Salman Agha contributed 45 off 65 balls on a pitch that offered slow and unpredictable bounce, making batting difficult.

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Pakistan lost opener Fakhar Zaman for 10 in the fourth over to Will O’Rourke and Saud Shakeel soon after for 8. Babar Azam looked in good touch, scoring 29 runs with four boundaries and a six. He also became the joint fastest player to reach 6,000 ODI runs in 123 innings, matching South Africa’s Hashim Amla. However, his innings was cut short when he mistimed a shot off Nathan Smith, leaving Pakistan in trouble at 54-3.

Rizwan and Agha briefly revived the innings with an 88-run partnership, but their dismissals within 19 runs of each other ended hopes of a strong total.

Tayyab Tahir’s quick 38 off 33 balls, along with late contributions from Faheem Ashraf (22) and Naseem Shah (19), helped Pakistan cross the 240-run mark.