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Pakistan struggle with bat but Kiwis not on top yet
Lynn McConnell - 3 March 2001

Pakistan's batting form, already at a low ebb after the disappointments of the National Bank One-Day International series, was not helped when they were dismissed for 100 when batting first against New Zealand A.

Admittedly the cause was not helped by the seamer-friendly conditions at Bert Sutcliffe Oval, but a worrying lack of technique against promising, but not devastating, New Zealand A attack would have been of concern to tour officials.

Captain for the game Waqar Younis was disappointed with what he described as "a lazy batting effort. Nobody tried to get in. We should have scored 100 more."

With an injury cloud possibly hanging over Daryl Tuffey, Chris Drum's demonstration in front of national selectors Sir Richard Hadlee, David Trist and Brian McKechnie was timely today.

Overcast conditions for most of the 48.4 overs that the Pakistanis batted did not help the visitors, but there were occasions when the potential for run scoring was there.

Yousuf Youhana took three boundaries in an over from the game's main destroyer Drum.

The shots were all typical examples of the traditional Pakistan method, the first lofted to mid wicket, a superb straight drive and then a well-timed cut through gully.

The ease with which he got his shots away belied the problems that surfaced for those batting around him.

Saeed Anwar dug in from the outset and looked to be making the most of his time in the middle with the Test matches in mind but he was second man out, in the identical fashion to the first dismissal Saleem Elahi, caught by wicket-keeper Nevin from Drum's bowling. He had scored 17 of the first 18 runs.

Yousuf added 19 runs for the third wicket but then lost Imran Farhat, Younis Khan and Humayun Farhat in the space of nine runs.

He then worked with Saqlain Mushtaq to take the score through to 64 at lunch. Saqlain was in real trouble to the short balls from Drum, taking one on his helmet, and another clattering from his periscoped bat when he ducked another bouncer from Drum.

They had each scored a boundary after the break when they went, Yousuf for 26 and caught at slip by Richard Jones and Saqlain bowled by Andrew Penn for 13. With Waqar following for a duck, Pakistan lost three wickets for three runs and was in deep trouble with 76/8.

Mushtaq Ahmed and Arshad Khan chipped in with 21 for the ninth wicket before Mushtaq was bowled by Penn and Mohammad Sami was out for a duck, allowing Chris Drum to claim his fourth wicket of the innings and to see Pakistan all out for 100.

Drum described it as "a good day. It came out really well. It is always good to pick up wickets against a side like this.

"It was perfect conditions for seam bowling," he said. His four wicket haul added to the impressive 39 he took for Auckland in the Shell Trophy at an average of 20.07.

"The season just built up. Last season was pretty poor for me," he said.

Working on his game over the winter he came back refreshed and the desire to play for New Zealand is there again, although he said it was not healthy to solely focus on that.

He just wanted to bowl the right channels when his chance came in this game.

"Whatever grade of cricket you play, if you can bowl the right channels it will pay off," he said.

© CricInfo


Teams New Zealand, Pakistan.
Tours Pakistan in New Zealand
Scorecard Tour match: New Zealand 'A' v Pakistanis, 3-5 Mar 2001


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