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Pakistan beat Zimbabwe to clinch one-day series 2-1

By Farhana Ayaz
24 November 1998



RAWALPINDI, Nov 24: A dazzling knock of 132 by Ijaz Ahmed helped Pakistan pull off a walloping 111 runs victory over Zimbabwe here in the third and final one-day game at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

By virtue of the win, Pakistan also won the three-match series 2-1. Pakistan clinched the opener at Gujranwala by four wickets while the tourists battled back with six wicket triumph at Shiekhupura.

Having won the toss the Zimbabwe skipper may have had the brittle Pakistan batting in mind when he put the hosts into bat on a strip ideal for stroke-play.

A buoyant 132 by Iiaz Ahmed off 102 balls studded with nine boundaries and four towering sixes took Pakistan to a match-winning total of 302 for 6 in the allotted 50 overs. Ijaz secured the man-of-the-match award of Rs 20,000 and a medal for his sparkling innings.

Pakistan innings got off to a flying start when the left-handed pair of skipper Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar put on 77 runs for the first wicket. Anwar was especially in dashing nick and clobbered almost all the bowlers. Pacer Niel Johnson came under fire giving away 14 and 9 runs in his first two overs before Campbell replaced him with Heath Streak. Going at a healthy rate of nearly 8 runs an over Pakistan had posted 40 in first five overs. Streak succeeded in bringing down the high run rate as Pakistan added 13 runs in next five overs.

Anwar continued to delight the enthusiastic crowd with his exquisite stroke-play. He lifted Brandes for a six in the 13th over to roll his score to 44. Sohail who wasn't looking agile, failed to develop anything taller than one run after being dropped at 19 off Brandes when Johnson failed to hold on to a straight forward catch at mid-on. Sohail going for a drive against Andrew Whittal was clean bowled at 20 (47 balls) in the 15th over with the total at 77.

Anwar struck six fours and a six to complete his 27th half century in the one-day internationals. It came off 39 balls spanning 57 minutes.

Anwar and Ijaz Ahmed posted the 100 in 18.1 overs. Pakistan lost its second wicket at the total of 110 when Anwar, in fluent form and looking set for a big score, was run out. Anwar playing towards backward point was sent back by Ijaz but a dashing pick-up and throw-in by Gavin Rennie into the gloves of keeper did the damage. Anwar made 73 off 63 balls in 86 minutes.

The dismissal slowed down the run rate as Pakistan collected 6 runs in five overs after that. However, Ijaz and Inzamamul Haq grafted an excellent third wicket of 97 runs off 117 balls. Ijaz thrilled the crowd with a couple of sixes off leg spinner Paul Strang and one off Johnson over long on, completed his fifty in 58 balls. They had raised the total to 207 when Inzamam, playing in his 173 one-day for Pakistan (ave 38.67), while trying to flick Streak was well held by Murray Goodwin at long on. Inzamam's knock of 34 came off 59 balls, he hit two fours.

Ijaz reached his 9th one-day hundred off 87 balls when he smashed Johnson for a four.

Moin Khan sent in to go for some big hitting in the last ten overs was trapped leg before by Brandes for 9 while Wasim Akram who struck a 17-ball 20 was run out. Ijaz trying to hit a big one got out on the last ball of Pakistan's innings when Grant Flower held his catch just inside the rope off Streak.

Whittal was the pick of the Zimbabwean bowlers as he succeeded in controlling a free-scoring Pakistan with figures of 138 in 10 overs, Streak took 2 for 62, Brandes 1 for 57 and Johnson gave away 63 runs in 7 overs.

Zimbabwe needed a very fine start to get back into the match but their batsmen failed to answer the call as wickets kept falling at regular intervals, although the run rate was kept almost according to requirement.

The first three batsmen fell to identical strokes to the pace trio of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Aaqib Javed. Johnson (11), Grant Flower, Murray Goodwin (29) all got out giving thick outside edge to keeper Moin. Zimbabwe's first wicket fell at 17 and the roller coaster slide was continued till the end.

Off spinner Saqlain Mushtaq turned in the magic after the pacers had made the initial dents. Saqlain first had skipper Alistair Campbell (3), then clean bowled C. Wishart (6) and later removed Zimbabwe's only change for the game Gavin Rennie (5). All during this time Andy Flower kept one end safe. He completed the fifty mark off 86 balls in 122 minutes. Saqlain let go off a catch and bowl chance when Andy was at 42. Andy (61 off 98) was the eighth man out at the total of 181.

Sohail introduced himself to the bowling attack in order to check the slow over rate. Sohail clean bowled Andy and then also trapped Zimbabwe's last wicket at the total 191 in 37.2 overs.

Waqar who made his comeback to international cricket after a lay off of nearly six months looked in fine form, he grabbed 2 for 49, Saqlain had 3 for 27, Akram, Aaqib took 1 each while Sohail had 2 for 26.


Source: Dawn
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