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New Zealand’s reliable middle-order batter Daryl Mitchell etched his name into the record books during the third and final ODI of the series against Pakistan.
Daryl Mitchell scripts history for New Zealand
Mitchell became the fastest New Zealand men’s player to reach 2,000 ODI runs, achieving the milestone in just 47 innings. He surpassing Andrew Jones, who previously held the record at 52 innings.
The landmark came during New Zealand’s innings at the Bay Oval, where the hosts posted a competitive 264/8 in a rain-shortened 42-over contest. Mitchell played a steady hand with 43 runs off 53 balls, anchoring the middle overs and guiding the innings after the platform was set by the top order.
New Zealand sets a stiff target despite rain shortening the match
Sent in to bat first after Pakistan won the toss, New Zealand recovered well from the early dismissal of Nick Kelly (3) to build momentum. Rhys Mariu, the young opener, impressed once again with a fluent 58 off 61 balls, which included 6 fours and 2 sixes. His partnership with Henry Nicholls (31 off 40) helped settle the early nerves.
After Mitchell’s calm presence in the middle, it was Michael Bracewell who provided fireworks in the final overs. He hammered a blistering 59 off just 40 deliveries, launching six towering sixes to propel the hosts past the 260-mark.
For Pakistan, Akif Javed was the standout performer with the ball. The pacer picked up 4 wickets for 62 runs in a lively eight-over spell, consistently troubling the New Zealand batters with pace and bounce. Naseem Shah also bowled with intensity, taking 2 wickets for 54 runs, while Faheem Ashraf and Sufiyan Muqeem chipped in with one wicket each.
Also READ: Pakistan star Naseem Shah fires back at personal jibes from former cricketers
Pakistan faces challenging chase to avoid a whitewash
Set a revised target of 265 in 42 overs, Pakistan will now need a strong batting performance to chase down the total and avoid a clean sweep. With momentum on New Zealand’s side and home conditions in their favour, it will be a tough task for the visitors.
