The refurbished National Stadium welcomed a packed crowd as the late afternoon sun gave way to a pleasant evening, but Pakistan supporters in the stands found little to cheer about as New Zealand spoiled their party on the day an ICC tournament returned to the country. Tom Latham (118*) and Will Young (107) anchored a crucial fourth-wicket partnership, guiding the Black Caps to a commanding total of 320 before their bowlers sealed a comprehensive 60-run victory over the hosts in the Champions Trophy opener.

Latham delivered a classy unbeaten 118, building on the momentum of a much-needed half-century against Pakistan in last week's tri-series final at the same venue. Young, drafted into the XI due to an unfortunate injury to Rachin Ravindra, played a well-balanced innings, splitting his 107 runs almost evenly between front-foot and backfoot strokes. Their contributions helped New Zealand recover from a shaky start on a pitch offering varied bounce from both ends before their bowlers took control to stifle Pakistan's chase.

New Zealand's win was far from straightforward, as Pakistan sought a dew-proof target after Mohammad Rizwan opted to field first. However, the match took an ominous turn for the hosts just two balls in when Fakhar Zaman, a key member of their 2017 title-winning squad, suffered a painful fall while fielding and was forced off the pitch with a back injury.

Despite early concerns about swing, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah found little movement off the surface. Young capitalized on wayward deliveries, flicking them to the boundary as New Zealand raced to 30 runs in the first five overs. Rizwan turned to spin early, introducing Abrar Ahmed in the sixth over, and the move paid off as Devon Conway misjudged a delivery and was bowled. Pakistan capitalized further when Naseem dismissed Kane Williamson with a feathered edge to the keeper in the following over. Daryl Mitchell then fell to a well-directed short ball from Haris Rauf, reducing New Zealand to 73/3 in the 17th over.

At that point, Young had already contributed 49 runs when Latham joined him to steady the innings. The duo compiled a fluent 118-run stand without shifting gears dramatically, with Latham sweeping confidently against spin while Young drove and cut with precision. Their partnership was momentarily tested by Rauf, who bowled a hostile spell of short-pitched deliveries, leading to a missed caught-behind review and a dropped catch when Latham was on 41.

Young reached his century off 107 balls, becoming only the fourth New Zealand batter to score a Champions Trophy ton. Latham followed suit, bringing up his eighth ODI hundred in just 92 balls, including 10 fours and three sixes. His acceleration in the latter half of the innings was aided by Glenn Phillips, who smashed four sixes in a quickfire 61 off 39 balls. The final 10 overs yielded 113 runs, propelling New Zealand to 320—a total that seemed improbable given their early struggles.

Pakistan's chase began with a setback as Zaman, still nursing his injury, was unable to open. Instead of making a statement with aggressive intent, the hosts made a sluggish start, crawling to 22/2 in the first 10 overs. Will O'Rourke made early inroads, dismissing Saud Shakeel and Rizwan, the latter falling to a brilliant diving catch from Phillips at backward point.

Zaman limped in at No.4 but was clearly restricted in his movement, limiting his ability to rotate strike. Meanwhile, Babar Azam took a conservative approach against offspinners Michael Bracewell and Phillips, allowing the required run rate to climb above eight runs per over early on. Pakistan played 75 dot balls in the first 17 overs, further stalling their chase. Zaman managed a few boundaries but was eventually bowled by Bracewell.

Babar registered a half-century but his 64 off 90 balls, at a strike rate of just 71, placed added pressure on the lower order. Salman Ali Agha (42 off 28) and Khushdil Shah (69 off 49) played aggressive cameos in an attempt to bridge the gap, but the mounting asking rate forced them into high-risk shots. O'Rourke and Mitchell Santner claimed three wickets each as Pakistan's innings folded with 16 balls to spare.

Brief Scores:

New Zealand 320/5 in 50 overs (Tom Latham 118*, Will Young 107; Naseem Shah 2-63)

Pakistan 260 in 47.2 overs (Khushdil Shah 69, Babar Azam 64; Will O'Rourke 3-47, Mitchell Santner 3-66)

New Zealand won by 60 runs.