Rampaging Razzaq, Younis lift Pakistan to 68-run win

BY : WILFRED PEREIRA.
A revamped Pakistan made a superb start in the four-nation Cherry Blossom Sharjah Cup 2003 defeating Zimbabwe by 68 runs in the opening match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Pakistan recovered from 69-4 at one stage to pile up 278 for seven, 75 runs coming in the last five overs.

Zimbabwe were bowled out for 210 in the 45th over and also conceded a bonus point for not reaching 223.

Pakistan built their innings on Abdul Razzaq's 76 not out, Younis Khan (67) and Rashid Latif (34) while Douglas Marillier was the top scorer for Zimbabwe with 59.

Umar Gul and Muhammad Hafeez -- making their debut for Pakistan -- and Abdul Razzaq and Danish Kaneria shared the wickets with two run-outs. Razzaq was named the man of the match for his all round performance.

Pakistan take on Sri Lanka in their second match on Friday while Kenya, the fourth team in the competition, begin their campaign against Zimbabwe on Saturday.

Earlier electing to bat after winning the toss, a scintillating eighth-wicket partnership of 75 runs off 35 balls helped Pakistan pile up 278 for 7.

Razzaq blasted seven sixes to remain not out on 76 made from 53 balls. Along with Muhammed Sami, Razzaq put on 75 runs in just 35 balls, 47 of which came in the last two overs.

Struggling at 69 for four in the 19th over, Younis Khan hit a patient 67 and captain Rashid Latif hit 34 to help Pakistan recover.

Muhammed Hafeez and Taufiq played the first six overs safely, but Heath Streak broke the partnership when he had the former caught behind in the fourth ball of the seventh over.

Naveed Latif, coming at the fall of Hafeez, did not last long. He returned to the pavilion after facing only six balls, bowled by Andy Blignaut for three.

When the going looked good for Pakistan, Hafeez's departure put a dent in their build-up and when Latif departed, it appeared a procession would follow.

But Pakistan vice-captain, Yousuf Youhana, along with Taufiq brought on the 50 in 14.1 overs. Taufiq, however, departed two balls later clean bowled by Streak for 16. He faced 50 balls, reaching the boundary once and was at the crease for 70 minutes.

Youhanna survived a confident appeal for leg before in Streak's sixth over and also missed being run out in the following over. He departed in the 19th over after contributing 17 from 28 balls, leaving Younis Khan to carry on the battle.

Shoaib Malik, recalled after most Pakistani seniors were axed, brightened the innings with some excellent display of batting. Along with Younis, Malik put on 32 runs before a mix-up saw the latter walking back to the pavilion being run out by Marillier.

Younis did not respond to Malik's call and Marillier did the needful to reduce Pakistan 101 for five in the 25th over.

Rashid Latif, who came in at Malik's fall, hit a hurricane 34 from 36 balls. Latif played some unorthodox shots in the 32nd over, also hitting Merillier for a lofty six. He was run out attempting a second run when Taibu neatly collected a throw from Travis Friend to reduce Pakistan to 159 for six.

Younis reached his 50 from 65 balls in the 39th over with one six and three boundaries. He lofted Grant Flower for his second in the 43rd over.

Younis departed trying to lift Blignaut over the mid-on in the 45th over caught by Ervine with the score on 203. He hit 67 from 83 balls, including two sixes and three fours.

Razzaq hit two sixes and one four off Blignaut's last over, the first six going straight to a girl sitting behind one of the TV cameras in the main stadium. He reached his 50 from just 47 balls lofting Ervine for a six.

12-ball over

Blignaut sent in 12 deliveries in his sixth over after bowling six wides, but did not concede any run from the bat. He finished with two wickets for 50.

He was replaced by Douglas Hondo from the Sharjah Football Club end while Streak made way for Sean Ervine after the Zimbabwe captain had sent in eight overs from the pavilion end.

He had two wickets for 23 in his first spell. Streak gave away 31 runs for his two wickets. Hondo, who was the third Zimbabwe bowler to send in 10 overs, conceded 60 runs and went wicketless.

Gul's first ODI wicket

Umar Gul got his first ODI wicket on debut when he had Wishart caught behind by Latif during Zimbabwe's innings.

The Zimbabwe opener, who aggregated 298 runs in eight World Cup matches in South Africa, made eight from 24 balls.

Gul, 18, who hails from Peshawar, was in the thick of action when he tricked Travis Friend to deflect his shot into the safe hands of Taufiq in the slips after the Zimbabwean had made nine.

Grant Flower, playing his 200th one dayer, was caught brilliantly by Hafeez who flew to his right to get rid off Zimbabwe's anchor man.

Flower fell short of one run for his 6,000 one-day runs when he walked back after contributing 13 runs.

Marillier, who seemed heading for a big innings, was bowled by Danish Kaneria for 59 reducing the Zimbabweans to 104 for 4.

Hafeez trapped Gavin Rennie leg before to get his first ODI wicket.

The writing was on the wall for Zimbabwe after the fall of the fifth wicket for 121.

Pakistan:

Taufiq Umer b Streak 16

Mohammad Hafeez c Taibu b Streak 12

Naved Latif b Blignaut 3

Yousuf Youhana c Taibu b Ervine 17

Younis Khan c Ervine b Blignaut 67

Shoaib Malik run out 13

Rashid Latif run out 34

Abdul Razzaq not out 76

Mohammad Sami not out 11

Extras: (lb4, w24, nb1) 29

Total (for seven wickets) 278

Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-38, 3-50, 4-69, 5-101, 6-159, 7-203

Bowling: Streak 10-1-31-2, Blignaut 10-0-50-2, Hondo 10-0-60-0, Ervine 4-0-36-1, Marillier 7-0-43-0, Flower 4-0-27-0, Rennie 5-0-27-0; Overs: 50

Zimbabwe:

C Wishart c Latif b Gul 8

D Marillier b Kaneria 59

T Friend c Taufiq b Gul 9

G Flower c Hafeez b Kaneria 13

D Ebrahim lbw b Razzaq 31

G Rennie lbw b Hafeez 11

A Blignaut b Hafeez 24

S Ervine run out 30

T Taibu b Sami 1

H Streak c Latif b Razzaq 7

D Hondo not out 0

Extras: (lb6, w4, nb7) 17

Total 210

Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-47, 3-87, 4-104, 5-121, 6-152, 7-194, 8-197, 9-208

Bowling: Sami 7-0-34-1, Gul 7-2-25-2, Razzaq 7.1-0-36-2, Kaneria 9-0-38-2, Hafeez 10-0-41-2, Malik 4-0-30-0; Overs: 44.1

Toss: Pakistan

Friday, April 04, 2003.
source : © Gulf Today.