The 2025 Sultan of Azlan Shah Cup started with heavy rain and flooding, forcing the postponement of the tournament’s opening match between South Korea and India. That left the Vantage Black Sticks clashing with host Malaysia in the first match of the event.
Because large water pockets were still visible on the turf at the push-off, the circumstances forced both sides to adopt a different playing style. Instead of building up from the back, the match turned into an aerial, counter-attacking contest, a style that Malaysia favored early on.
Malaysia struck first in the first quarter with a sharp counter-attack to take a 1–0 lead. They doubled their lead in the second quarter through a well-executed penalty corner, putting New Zealand under early pressure.
The Vantage Black Sticks worked their way back into the match late in the second quarter, and Sam Lane calmly converted a penalty shot to pull one back and send New Zealand into halftime with momentum.
As the pitch dried and the surface became more consistent, New Zealand found their rhythm in the third quarter, creating more connections and starting to flow. The match heated up considerably in the fourth quarter, with the Vantage Black Sticks coming desperately close to an equalizer when a powerful shot deflected off the Malaysian goalkeeper’s glove and off the post.
In the chase of the match, New Zealand removed goalkeeper George Enersen with three minutes remaining to push an extra outfield player forward. The tactic paid off almost immediately: it resulted in a penalty corner that was only denied by a strong save from the Malaysian goalkeeper.
Moments later, Dylan Thomas produced the moment New Zealand were looking for, firing a brilliant field goal through the goalkeeper’s legs to make it 2-2 with just two minutes to play. Enersen returned to the field for the closing stages as the Vantage Black Sticks closed out the match and secured a well-deserved opening point.
It was a landmark night for Leon Hayward, who celebrated his 50th appearance for New Zealand and played a crucial role with three excellent saves that prevented Malaysia from extending their lead. The match also marked the international debut of Nick Lidstone, who looked calm and confident throughout and fitted into the side seamlessly.
A gritty performance in tricky conditions gave New Zealand a valuable result to open their Azlan Shah Cup campaign, with momentum to build on for the matches ahead.
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