DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka, 24 May 2003 — Stephen Fleming smashed a robust 65 as New Zealand won a rare overseas one-day tournament with a four-wicket victory over Pakistan in the triangular series final here yesterday.

The New Zealand captain cracked three sixes and five fours in his 34th half-century to help his team surpass a modest Pakistani total of 198 with 4.4 overs to spare. This was New Zealand’s only second success away from home in a one-day tournament involving more than two teams, the previous being the ICC Trophy at Nairobi in Kenya three years ago.

New Zealand found more than one hero in their emphatic win over a new-look Pakistani side on a slow track where stroke-making was never easy. No team had successfully chased 199 in the low-scoring tournament, also featuring Sri Lanka, but Fleming had the last laugh with an entertaining 111-ball knock.

Fleming also saw to it that his team ended the Sri Lankan tour on an impressive note after having drawn a two-Test series. “We are very excited about winning the away tournament,” said Fleming, who was named man of the match.

Fleming drove home the advantage given by tall fast bowlers Jacob Oram (3-38) and Daryl Tuffey (3-32), who restricted Pakistan despite an impressive unbeaten 70 by middle-order batsman Younis Khan.

Pakistan missed the services of key fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, serving a two-match ban for tampering with the ball during the last league game against New Zealand here on Tuesday.

The inexperience was reflected in bowling as Pakistan conceded 44 extras, including 25 wides. “I think the total was defendable, but we conceded too many extras. We bowled too many wides,” said Pakistani captain Rashid Latif.

When talented seamer Mohammad Sami had Chris Nevin caught cutting by Shoaib Malik at backward point for Pakistan’s first wicket, Fleming had already laid a solid foundation with a 54-run stand.

He then consolidated his team’s position with a 59-run stand for the second wicket with Lou Vincent, which eventually helped his team absorb a three-wicket effort from Sami. Sami removed Fleming and Scott Styris (22) off successive deliveries to reduce New Zealand from 151-2 to 170-5, but his effort came too late.

In contrast, Pakistan were under pressure from the first over itself. Their woes began soon after Latif became the tournament’s first captain to elect to bat after winning the toss. Pakistan were struggling at 56-4 against the disciplined duo of Tuffey and Oram before Khan propped up the innings with his 17th half-century.

He put on 57 for the fifth wicket with Malik (34) and 43 for the seventh with Latif (20) to help his team recover from a poor start. Misfortune also struck Pakistan when well-set Yousuf Youhana was run out backing up.

Bowler Styris tried to stop a Khan straight-drive on his follow-through and the deflection hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end, with Youhana out of the crease. Khan continued to defy New Zealand, but received little support from the other end.