Lynn McConnell
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2nd ODI: New Zealand v Pakistan at Napier, 20 Feb 2001 Lynn McConnell |
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Pakistan innings:
Pre-game: New Zealand innings: |
New Zealand only needed to score 136 after the dismal batting collapse by Pakistan which recorded its lowest score against New Zealand, worse than the 136/8, also in Napier, in 1992/93.
There were some moments of anxiety, especially in the minds of those who have recalled some spectacular failures by New Zealand teams chasing runs against Pakistan in previous encounters.
Adam Parore was out in the first over for a duck, Nathan Astle scored 20 and Roger Twose's run of low scores continued when he was out for five.
But captain Stephen Fleming applied himself during the middle stages of the innings and continued the advance to the player of old with some startling cover and straight drives. However, when the Pakistan attack was in disarray with Shoaib Akhtar off the field with a thigh injury, he turned the first ball of Waqar Younis' second spell straight to Yousuf Youhana at square leg.
Having dropped Craig McMillan moments earlier off Abdur Razzaq, Youhana made no mistake the second time and the New Zealand captain was on his way for 28.
At 74/4 the situation was still potentially precarious but Craig McMillan and Lou Vincent combined in a sensible stand, running singles to effect and punishing the loose balls to add 50 from 67 balls.
Vincent continues to grow with every appearance for New Zealand and even without Jacob Oram to strengthen the batting line-up the handled the situation with ease.
Pakistan's hopes were not helped by Shoaib Akhtar's absence due to a strained quadricep muscle when he was halfway through his second over.
Wasim Akram two for 24 from nine overs and Waqar Younis, one for 27 from seven tried to make the breakthroughs, with Akram especially probing, but along with off spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who had none for 23 from five overs, they could make no headway.
Vincent hit the winning boundary to finish on 33 not out, his highest ODI score to date, while McMillan was 31 not out. Their 62-run partnership came off 81 balls.
By the end of the 15th over New Zealand was 66/3 with captain Stephen Fleming on 28 and Craig McMillan on one.
But the start was not the greatest.
Adam Parore failed yet again at the top of the order when edging a ball to Imran Farhat at second slip from Wasim Akram's first over. Parore refused to leave the crease and it was apparent he believed the ball may not have carried to Farhat at second slip.
The third umpire, Steve Dunne, was asked to adejudicate and after several looks at the available video on which the replays looked inconclusive it appears the decision may have been handed back to umpire Evan Watkin.
It was apparent from the outset that Pakistan was not going to give in easily, although Akram's opening over as well as producing Parore's wicket, also gave up three wides.
When Stephen Fleming hit Waqar Younis for his second four in the sixth over, it was the fifth New Zealand boundary, one more than the four Pakistan managed in their entire innings. However, the Pakistanis did hit three sixes.
Shoaib Akhtar was into the attack for the ninth over by which stage New Zealand was 34/1.
The stage was set for a fiery confrontation after Fleming's comments at the end of the first ODI in which he wouldn't comment but said that if there were problems there were processses in place to deal with it.
If Shoaib took that as a vote of no confidence from Fleming, he wasted no time in showing his feelings. The first ball he bowled to Fleming was a fast bouncer delivered around the wicket. It beat a leaping Moin Khan and went for four no balls.
The next delivery was also ruled a bouncer and by the time Akhtar had finished 16 runs had come from the over, in which time Fleming and Nathan Astle posted the side's 50 off 56 balls and their own 50 partnership from 55 balls.
Akram changed ends and had immediate results when Astle edged a ball to Inzamam-ul-Haq when on 20.
In his next over, Akhtar looked to be complaining about his run-up and unsteady footing caused by recent heavy rain in the Hawke's Bay. Then after the third delivery he pulled up lame and limped from the field immediately.
Abdur Razzaq finished the over, and then with the first ball of the next over he had Roger Twose caught behind by Moin Khan for five.
Co-incidentally, the previous lowest score was also in Napier, in 1992/93 when Pakistan was 136/8.
Daryl Tuffey led the Kiwi bowling assault and claimed his fourth wicket, that of Shoaib Akhtar off the last ball of the innings to end with four for 24. Waqar Younis was not out 22 at the end.
The Pakistani batting was confused. Even to the point of its best batsman on the day Abdur Razzaq compounding that confusion.
As happened with Wasim Akram a few overs earlier, Razzaq hit a six and then repeated the shot next ball only to be caught out.
In Razzaq's case it was a straight driven six from Chris Martin's bowling which brought up his 50 after 112 balls of solid application.
But then next ball he didn't get onto the shot and hit it high into the air where Chris Harris raced around to cover, from point, to take the catch with ease.
Akram had despatched Daniel Vettori over the mid-wicket fence with ease but was not quite so easily onto the ball next delivery and he was held at mid-wicket by James Franklin.
New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming moved his attack around cleverly during the innings, bowling short spells in the helpful conditions and the bowlers responded superbly.
Daryl Tuffey vindicated his recall to the side after some outstanding domestic cricket form while Daniel Vettori continued the mesmeric touch he found in Auckland.
Chris Martin, called into the game when middle-order batsman Jacob Oram twisted his ankle during the side's warm-ups, bowled his 10 overs through first to take one for 37.
Vettori finished with two for 29 from his 10 overs while Harris capped a great day in his career by conceding 12 runs from his 10 overs for his record-breaking wicket.
In the 48th over Saqlain Mushtaq was run out for 10 when stranded in mid-pitch after Waqar Younis didn't want to run.
James Franklin bowled the 49th over and conceded 27 runs in his 10 overs.
Harris secured his 159th wicket to move past Sir Richard Hadlee's long-standing New Zealand record.
Of more interest to Harris however, was the fact that the wicket left Pakistan lurching at 60/5 in the 23rd over.
After being 21/3 in the ninth over, Yousuf Youhana and Shahid Afridi attempted to regain control for their side and got through to 47 before Youhana was caught by Stephen Fleming running around from first slip to leg slip to take a catch from left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori's bowling.
Amazingly, Youhana stood his ground when it was apparent to all but him at the ground that he was out. The New Zealanders had to stop their celebrations and look toward umpire Evan Watkin to give Yousuf the signal that he was out.
That was 47/4 and Razzaq stood unmoved among all the carnage with a sensible sheet anchor application.
Vettori was able to continue on from where he left off in the Auckland match, bowling tightly on a slower pitch and introducing the variations which make him such a competitor.
Then, when Fleming reintroduced Tuffey from the northern end of the ground, he struck in the first over by tying up Moin Khan with a lifting ball that flew to Fleming waiting at first slip.
Tuffey bowled two overs at a cost of four runs and was immediately replaced by Vettori and after 30 overs Pakist was 69/6 with Razzaq 34 not out and Wasim Akram one not out.
New Zealand's rookie top order bowlers responded superbly to captain Stephen Fleming's winning of the toss and after 15 overs had picked up three wickets for a cost of 37 runs.
The main figure of defiance was Abdur Razzaq who was on 19 and Yousuf Youhana on four.
Opening batsmen may be wary of lining up for the first ball of the game in the three remaining National Bank series matches.
In the first game, New Zealand opener Adam Parore was bowled first ball by Wasim Akram when he cut the ball onto his wickets.
Then today, Pakistan's Saeed Anwar attempted to defend a full toss from Daryl Tuffey only to see it glance off his pad into the base of the off stump.
Tuffey, and opening bowling partner Chris Martin kept the lid on the Pakistan scoring for the first five overs, yielding only eight runs but then a four and a two to Abdur Razzaq seemed to loosen up the Pakistanis and from the first ball of Tuffey's fourth over Imran Farhat tried to pull a wider ball from the off into the vacant long on area.
Unfortunately, for him, he found the hulking figure of Tuffey waiting for the sharp return catch and Pakistan were 14/2.
In Tuffey's next over, Inzamam-ul-Haq paid the price for backing up too far when a straight drive from Razzaq was touched by Tuffey before it hit the stumps at the bowler's end and Inzamam had no chance of making his ground. Pakistan was in trouble at 21/3.
Tuffey ended his first spell of six overs with two for 11 while Martin was a little more expensive with his six overs costing 21 runs.
Middle-order batsman Jacob Oram twisted an ankle in the warm-ups on what is a soft McLean Park outfield.
That meant fast-medium bowler Chris Martin will play after being 12th man in Auckland.
But if that was bad news for New Zealand, the fact that Stephen Fleming finally won a toss was better news.
He asked Pakistan to bat first in hot, humid conditions.
Pakistan has named an unchanged side for the game.
New Zealand - Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Adam Parore, Roger Twose, Craig McMillan, Chris Harris, Lou Vincent, Daniel Vettori, Darryl Tuffey, James Franklin, Chris Martin.
Pakistan - Moin Khan (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Imran Farhat, Yousuf Youhana, Shahid Afridi, Abdur Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar. (12th man Imran Nazir).
The umpires are, Evan Watkin and Brent Bowden (Steve Dunne - third umpire).
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Date-stamped : 20 Feb2001 - 18:23