Pakistan vs New Zealand, 3rd ODI at Karachi, PAK v NZ, May 03 2023 - Match Result

11:48pm Right. That will be that from us for tonight. Pakistan have now taken an unassailable lead in this series but as Babar said, they want to use these next two games to put in two more strong displays. Do join us when these teams convene again on Friday but until next time, this is me (Shashwat) signing off on behalf of Rvel, Sudeep and everyone at ESPNcricinfo! Goodbye, goodnight and take care!

Imam-ul-Haq, Player of the Match: (On his partnership with Fakhar) When you play for the last six years with the same opener, it helps. We knew these wickets would not be the same as Rawalpindi wickets, so it was important to give respect. We knew it was a 280-290 track. We are planning and so far, it has been very good for us (Fakhar and me). Me and Babar were talking about getting a good partnership. If we got out, it would be difficult for the middle order. We were thinking of 260 but it helped to get to a good position after 40 overs.

Babar Azam, Pakistan captain: The pitch was a little slow but the partnership that Imam and I built. Then, the way Rizwan played and the way Shadab finished - it got us up to 280. The bowlers were also outstanding. Shadab and Nawaz started well but unfortunately Nawaz got hit. Agha bowled nine overs and that was outstanding. In ODIs, we are trying to chase 350 and trying to defend 300 as well. That is what we are trying to do day by day. Focus is now to not relax and come out strongly for the next two matches. (On bench strength) We tried to do it in the second game and we tried communicating that. We did that in T20Is as well and hopefully we can do that moving forward, with back-to-back series. Hopefully we can continue to give our 100%.

Tom Latham, New Zealand captain: It (the pitch) probably slowed up a little bit. Just a couple of partnerships here and there, and things could have been a little different. We struggled a touch in the middle. At the half-way mark, we were happy and the bowlers certainly improved after the first two games. From a batting point of view, we had a really good start. We just could not continue that momentum after we lost a couple of wickets. When you are chasing scores like that, you need back-to-back partnerships. We were not quite at our best (from a batting point of view) today.

11:26pm That turned into a fairly comfortable victory for Pakistan in the end. That, though, did not seem to be the case when New Zealand's openers were going strong. Once Young fell, courtesy of some brilliant Pakistan fielding, the hosts established a foothold. Their spinners tightened the screws and it built pressure on the Kiwis.

That pressure told as Blundell ran himself out and Mitchell perished trying to clear the fence. Latham tried his best to take the game deep but without much support from his middle order, departed in the 42nd over. McConchie, on debut, notched up a fifty and played a few attractive strokes. The Black Caps, however, were well behind in the game by then.

Pakistan, meanwhile, would be pleased with how they bowled. They were not very effective in the powerplay but stuck to their lines and lengths in the middle phases. The wickets were shared and whenever New Zealand tried to up the ante, Pakistan held their nerve.

Naseem to bowl the final over. NZ need 28

Henry is the last batter in

35 off 11 now. Shaheen continues from around the wiicket

Sodhi in at 10

42 needed off 18 now. NZ are not completely out of it but you would back Pakistan to win from here more often than not. Naseem to bowl the 48th

Around the wicket now

Back to over the wicket