Hosts Pakistan have eased to a regulation six-wicket victory in the opening one-dayer against the Blackcaps at Karachi.
After Naseem Shah dismissed NZ opener Devon Conway with the very first delivery he faced, the tourists struggled to build a substantial total over their 50 overs, eventually reaching 255/9, which their rivals chased down with 11 balls remaining and plenty of wickets in hand.
Conway had to depart, when the ball deflected off his back leg and onto the stumps, bringing captain Kane Williamson to the middle early, but while several Blackcaps made starts, none could accelerate the scoring much beyond five runs an over, as wickets fell regularly.
Opener Finn Allen tried to kickstart the innings with 29 off 27 balls, including six fours, before he fell victim to a spectacular caught by Agha Salman in the covers, off the bowling of Mohammad Wasim.
Allen, Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner all surpassed 20 runs, but none went on to reach their half century.
Allrounder Bracewell led the scoring with 43, including four fours and a six, and combined with Phillips (37) in a partnership of 66 for the sixth wicket, but after coming together at 147/5 in the 32nd over, the pair needed to bat more cautiously than they would have liked.
Phillips found the boundary just twice in his 53-ball stay, certainly below his usual strike rate.
Shah took 5/57 and also dismissed debutant fast bowler Henry Shipley for a duck later in the innings.
In replay, Pakistan had the luxury of pacing their effort, with Mohammad Rizwan (77 not out), captain Babar Azam (66) and opener Fakhar Zaman (56) all bringing up fifties, and Haris Sohail (32 off 23) producing a flourish near the end.
After leading with the bat, Bracewell was also the best of the NZ bowlers with 2/44 off his 10 overs.
The two sides meet again on Wednesday at the same venue.
New Zealand 255/9 (M Bracewell 43, Latham 42, Phillips 37; Naseem 5/57) Pakistan 258/4 (Rizwan 77, Azam 66, Zaman 56; M Bracewell 2/44)
Pakistan win by six wickets
