New Zealand have won their first Cricket World Cup warm-up match by five wickets after chasing down 345 runs set by Pakistan in Hyderabad with 38 balls remaining.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and opted to bat, setting an imposing target of 345-5 after their 50overs. Azam knocked 80 off 84 balls while Mohammad Rizwan scored 103.
Rizwan and Babar shared a 114-run stand after openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique couldn’t make their mark and were dismissed early. Left-handed batter Saud Shakeel staked his claim in the middle-order with 75 off 53 balls as Pakistan accelerated well in the end and made 107 runs in the last 10 overs.
Mitchell Santner was the best of the Kiwis with the ball in hand, taking the wickets of Shafique and Azam for 39 runs, while Matt Henry, Jimmy Neesham and Lochie Ferguson all bagged one wicket each.
With the bat in hand, Rachin Ravindra (97) and Mark Chapman (65*) top-scored, while Williamson (54) and Mitchell (59) both made solid contributions before being retired.
Despite the shining return, Williamson is set to miss the opening game of the Cricket World Cup against England as he continues rehabilitation from a knee injury. He was named as a batsman only in today’s first warm-up match against Pakistan, with the aim of batting and fielding in Monday’s second and final warm-up against South Africa in Trivandrum.
But he will miss the rematch of the 2019 final against England, with coach Gary Stead saying the priority is ensuring Williamson has time to progress his return to full match fitness.
“Right from the start we’ve taken a long-term view on Kane’s return to play,” said Stead. “His recovery is tracking well and it’s now a matter of making sure he can cope with the rigours and intensity of international cricket.
“We’ll continue to take a day-by-day approach to Kane’s rehabilitation and certainly won’t be putting any pressure on him to return before he is ready.”
Luke Kirkness is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He previously covered consumer affairs for the Herald and was an assistant news director in the Bay of Plenty. He won Student Journalist of the Year in 2019.
