Hafeez, Afridi lead Pakistan to victory
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, Jan 30, 2011 (AFP) - A maiden century by
Mohammad Hafeez and a blistering 65 by Shahid Afridi set up Pakistan for
a 43-run win over New Zealand in their one-day cricket international
Saturday.
The batting heroics, which rescued Pakistan from a disastrous start,
were complemented by the fielding exploits of Umar Akmal who featured in
three crucial New Zealand dismissals.
The result levelled the six-match series at 1-1, with one game washed
out and three to play. It was a sharp turnaround in fortunes from the
first match, which New Zealand won by nine wickets with more than 32
overs to spare. They showed the hallmarks of that domination in
Christchurch when they won the toss, put Pakistan into bat on a
green-tinged wicket, and had them two for eight by the fourth over.
But from there Pakistan worked their way up to take control,
compiling 293-7 in their 50 overs, with Afridi starring in a 126-run
charge over the last 10 overs.
New Zealand made a bold reply and were ahead of Pakistan in the run
rate until the final slog, but they lost wickets at regular intervals
and were hanging on grimly at the end to be 250-9.
They were unable to take advantage of the short boundaries at AMI
Stadium which Afridi plundered at will in a telling innings that
included five fours and five sixes and saw him reach his half-century in
only 19 deliveries.
The stage for the late charge was set by Hafeez, who was partnered by
Younis Khan in a 48-run stand for the third wicket, then featured in a
94-run partnership with Misbah-Ul-Haq before putting on 52 with Umar
Akmal.
After Tim Southee, the form bowler for New Zealand this season,
removed Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal early, Hafeez turned the tables
on the New Zealand bowlers.
He belted two fours off Southee's third over, then a four and six off
Hamish Bennett's opening over as he worked all corners of the boundary
untroubled by the New Zealand bowlers who had difficulty maintaining
their lines in blustery conditions. Hafeez, who survived a dropped catch
by Brendon McCullum when on 49, reached his century in the 42nd over,
cutting New Zealand spin debutante Luke Woodcock to point for a single.
But he was undone on 115 two overs later when he sent a top edge to
Ross Taylor at midwicket while trying to hit Kyle Mills out of the
ground.
At the height of Pakistan's late onslaught Afridi and Umar Akmal put
on 69 in 4.2 overs before both were removed by Bennett who returned the
figures of two for 54 while Southee took two for 57 and Mills two for
61.
The New Zealand batsmen were unable to find the boundaries with
similar ease to the Pakistanis in part because of Umar Akmal's fielding.
He caught opener Jamie How (24) with a catch on the boundary while
looking into the sinking sun, leapt in the air and landed just inside
the rope to catch Scott Styris and stop a six, and ran out McCullum with
a pin-point throw from backward point.
How and Guptill (39) gave New Zealand a sound start to their innings
but while the New Zealand batsmen were able to get starts no one was
capable of establishing a sound innings.
Styris top scored with 46 while the experiment of pairing McCullum
(12) and Jacob Oram (17) to give the middle order substance failed to
come off. For Pakistan Umar Gul took two for 31, Wahab Riaz two for 43
and Sohail Tanvir two for 56.
The fourth match in the series will be played in Napier on Tuesday.
PAKISTAN
Mohammad Hafeez c Taylor b Mills 115 Ahmed Shehzad c Styris b Southee 00 Kamran Akmal b Southee 06 Younis Khan c Mills b Oram 12 Misbah-ul-Haq c Styris b Mills 35 Umar Akmal b Bennett 44 Shahid Afridi c McCullum b Bennett 65 Abdul Razzaq not out 05 Wahab Riaz not out 01 Extras (lb 2, w 6, nb 2) 10 Total (7 wkts; 50 overs) 293 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-8, 3-56, 4-150, 5-202, 6-271, 7-288 Did not bat:Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir. Bowling: Mills 10-0-61-2,Southee 10-0-57-2 (1w), Bennett 7-0-54-2 (1nb, 1w),
Oram 9-0-55-1 (1nb,1w), Woodcock 10-0-46-0, Styris 4-0-18-0. NEW ZEALAND
M. Guptill c Shehzad by Wahab Riaz 39 J. How c Umar Akmal b Tanvir 24 R. Taylor c Younis Khan b Umar Gul 06 S. Styris c Umar Akmal b Hafeez 46 K. Williamson b Wahab Riaz 42 B. McCullum run out (Umar Akmal) 12 J. Oram c Hafeez b Sohail Tanvir 17 L. Woodcock b Umar Gul 11 K. Mills c Akmal b Shahid Afridi 17 T. Southee not out 15 H. Bennett not out 04 Extras (lb 4, wb12, nb 1) 17 Total (9 wkts; 50 overs) 250 Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-67, 3-80, 4-161, 5-179, 6-182 ,7-210, 8-217,
9-232. Bowling: Abdul Razzaq 5-1-28- 0, Sohail Tanvir 10-0-56-2 (2w), Wahab
Riaz 8-0-43-2 (1nb,3w),
Umar Gul 10-0-33-2 (2w),Shahid Afridi 10-0-45-1
(1w), Mohammad Hafeez 5-0-25-1, Ahmed Shehzad 2-0-16-0. |