3rd ODI: Pakistan v New Zealand at Lahore, 27 Apr 2002 CricInfo Live Report

3rd ODI: Pakistan v New Zealand at Lahore, 27 Apr 2002
Agha Akbar

Pakistan innings: 15 overs, 30 overs, End of innings,
Pre-game: Toss and Teams,
New Zealand innings: 15 overs, 30 overs, End of match,

PAKISTAN HOLDS TOTAL SWAY
LAHORE - It was indeed a solidly relentless all-round display in the field throughout, as Pakistan blanked out the Black Caps with great authority, taking the third and last game of the series by a convincing margin of 66 runs, with a bit more than four overs to spare.

With this new-found consistency, having won 23 out of their last 31 games, Pakistan enters the truncated two-Test rubber with their morale and confidence pretty high. This was also Pakistan’s seventh consecutive victory over the Kiwis.

As Shoaib Malik made his career-best score, 115, having a hand in three partnerships of 50-plus, Pakistan posted a huge 277, always a difficult prospect against the Pakistan attack under lights.

Even with a depleted side, with Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq and Imran Nazir rested, the Pakistanis held such sway that by the end of the 30th over the asking rate was already 7 an over and climbing. The writing was pretty much on the wall for the Black Caps. And sensing a tame ending, the near capacity crowd in the Gaddafi Stadium, which created an electrifying atmosphere throughout, started filing out.

Despite the task being rather daunting, the Black Caps may have made a fist of it had Craig McMillan and skipper Stephen Fleming stuck around in the middle for long. They didn’t, and from then on the slide down the slope was pretty swift.

Malik also piled more misery on the Kiwis with his second career-best in the match - this time with the ball, with a return of 3-37, and more crucially clean bowling Fleming behind his legs. With this all-round display, he removed any contention for the Man of the Match award!

With Shoaib Akhtar spearheading the attack along with skipper Waqar Younis, the crowd was treated to some great pace bowling. Shoaib’s raw pace was a spectacle in itself, and Waqar’s virtuoso display of swing bowling added spice to the difficult chase. It was Shoaib who continuously put the 100-mile barrier under a threat, one of his thunderbolts to McMillan clocking 99.3 mph (159 kmph). An unreliable, hence not deemed official, field gun also clocked him at 99.9 mph. The PCB issued a press release as follows:
'According to the speed gun operated in the ground by a sponsor, Shoaib Akhtar bowled a delivery at a speed off 161kph during the third odi between Pakistan and New Zealand at Gaddafi Staium, Lahore.'

Well this is an issue that will fire up lots of media speculation as the TV broadcaster's speed gun was not working, so one can only rest this case as there is really no official system in place for measuring sppeds.

The Black Caps were treated with some scary stuff by Akhtar from the word go, but it was Younis who disturbed Chris Nevin’s off-stump with a gem of a delivery, which pitched on the leg and swung out late. This early scalp brought McMillan in, and he along with Matt Horne did a measure of repair job with controlled aggression. Horne displayed lots of guts, flicking Akhtar for two consecutive fours over mid-wicket and square leg in the eighth over.

Shoaib was replaced by Mohammad Sami after a rather expensive spell of bowling where he went for 23 runs in four overs. Horne rode his luck when he was caught behind of a no-ball in the very first over of Sami. As the Kiwis went past 50 in the 11th over, Horne and McMillan continued to play their shots and also tried to maintain a healthy run rate. Horne (28, 44 balls, 3 fours) was bowled by Abdul Razzaq in the 15th over. McMillan (38, 48 balls, 3 fours) went soon after, his miscued pull off Sami, who also worked considerable pace in the region of mid 140s regularly, giving a simple chance to Inzamam at mid-wicket.

Lou Vincent, who had quite efficiently kept wickets earlier in the day, along with Fleming (15, 26 balls) tried to steady the innings but their hopes more or less evaporated when Fleming was bowled by Malik round his legs. At the end of 30th over, the Black Caps were 137 for four and the required run rate was already creeping up to 7 an over. Vincent and Styris tried to make a fist of it, but the former was bowled by Afridi and Styris was comprehensively stumped by Latif off Malik, who also bowled Adams neck and crop.

It was all over, and the remaining three wickets fell in no time, two of them, Brooke Walker and Daryl Tuffey being run out. Chris Harris, the last man out, tried to reduce the margin of defeat but it was Sami who snared him leg before for 37 to bring down the curtains on the Kiwi innings.

Shoaib scores ton as Pakistan batting gives another organised display:
Malik (115, 142 balls, 12 fours) scored his second century in three games, as Pakistan reached a highly competitive score of 278 for five wickets in their regulation 50 overs. Par for the course in this series as far as first innings scores go, as Pakistan had 275 at Karachi and New Zealand 277 at Rawalpindi.

That too, without much help today from Younis Khan or Abdul Razzaq, great strikers of the ball that they are, getting in a proper innings. As Razzaq walked in at the fag end, only 17 deliveries remained. He got to face 11 of them, he slammed 22, with two fours and a six, all in the mid-wicket region, to provide some impetus to the innings which was tapering off at the close. Ostensibly because of Malik getting bogged down while looking for his hundred and debutant Misbah-ul-Haq trying to make a success of his first outing.

Though the corner stone of the innings was young Malik’s knock, his highest in One-day Internationals, it were the four partnerships which ensured that Pakistan posted a big total without any real difficulty.

Afridi started the way he usually does, in an exuberant manner, flicking Andre Adams first delivery to deep square leg for a boundary. He had two more hits to the fence, and in trying to repeat one of them over mid-wicket, skying a simple catch to Matt Horne at mid-on off Andre Adams.

Yousuf Youhana, who is in high season form these days, chipped in with a brisk 53 (of 51 balls, 5 fours, 2 towering sixes). He seemed to be in the kind of groove that had the promise of a third century in four innings, and was playing his strokes with great freedom once Scott Styris dropped him in the covers of Chris Harris. He really rubbed it in, by clouting Harris for a six and four in the same over and then spanking Ian Butler for two fours next over. But having made his 50 in style, Youhana gave it all away when he offered a simple caught and bowled chance to leggie Brooke Walker in his first over, and he didn’t fumble with it. But by then the second wicket stand had posted 93, off mere 103 balls.

Inzamam, out of sorts in recent times, seemed to be in his element, as he whacked Walker for a huge six over long-on. Malik reached his 50 in the next over, from 76 deliveries, and laced with six fours, some of them really glorious strokes.

Inzamam played well for his 35 (40 balls, 1 four, 1 six) before he trying to clear the field played one right down the throat of Daryl Tuffey at deep mid-wicket off Walker. Pakistan were 191 at this point and the third wicket partnership between Inzamam and Malik had yielded 72 runs. Inzmam was replaced by debutant Misbah who mostly concentrated on rotating the strike, but with Malik eyeing his century things slowed down a bit, and though Pakistan had posted 207 by the end of 40th over, the next four overs only yielded 19. Malik reached his 100, off 130 balls with 11 fours, but the scoring rate was still a trifle slow. Malik and Misbah, after contributing 59 in 65 balls, departed in quick succession with Razzaq hitting out to help bring the innings to a brighter close, striking Styris for a six in the last over to make it count for a dozen.

A highly defendable total; given Pakistan’s potent attack. And the Pakistan attack, despite being without Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq, didn’t allow them to reach anywhere near the target.

THE KIWIS UP AGAINST IT
LAHORE - With a required run rate of more than 7 in the remaining 20 overs, the Black Caps were up against it, especially after losing captain Stephan Fleming and vice-captain Craig McMillan, the two mainstays were out.

McMillan was the first to go, after making 38 of 48 deliveries including three fours, when the score was 83 in the 18th over. McMillan looped a simple chance to Inzamam at mid-wicket in trying to pull Sami, who too was trying to work up pace in the region mid-140s regularly.

Lou Vincent, who had quite efficiently kept wickets earlier in the day, came in at the fall of McMillan. He along with skipper Fleming tried to steady the ship but their hopes ended when Fleming was bowled by off-spinner Shoaib Malik round his legs. Fleming made for 15 of 26 balls, with one four.

At this point, the New Zealanders were 121 and the required run rate was already creeping up to 7 an over. Scott Styris came replaced his captain, and t the end of 30th over Kiwis were 137-4 with Vincent and Styris trying to make a fist of it at 30 and 6 respectively.

With the New Zealand still require 142 runs at an awkward run rate of exactly 7.1, the near capacity crowd which had electrified the proceedings throughout grdually started filing out. To them the Black Caps end was nigh, and they had had their evening’s entertainment.

SHOAIB INCHES AWAY FROM THE 100 MPH BARRIER!
Shoaib Akhtar inched his way close to the magical 100 mph barrier when he bowled a thunderbolt to New Zealand’s Craig McMillan which was clocked at 99.3 mph or 159 kmph. Although the unreliable on field score gun measured the ball at 99.9 mph or 161 kmph which made the crowd went wild but the speed gun display on field cant be termed as reliable. Anyways the New Zealanders started of cautiously in reply to Pakistan’s formidable score of 278. They lost their opener Chris Nevin early to a gem of delivery bowled by Waqar Younis in his second over. The bowled pitched on leg stump and seamed off to take the off stump. New Zealand score at this point being 7. The kiwi vice captain Craig McMillan came in at the fall of Nevin’s wicket.

McMillan along with Matt Horne steadied the ship for the New Zealanders by playing with controlled aggression. Specially Horne played with lot of guts as he flicked ace of pace Shoaib Akhtar for two consecutive fours over mid wicket and square leg in the eighth over. Shoaib was replaced by Sami after a rather expensive spell of bowling where he went for 23 runs in four overs. Matt Horne rode his luck when he was caught behind of a no-ball in the very first over of Muhammad Sami. New Zealand reached their 50 in the 11th over in 56 minutes. Both Horne and McMillan continued to play their shots and also tried to maintain a healthy run rate. Matt Horne was bowled by Abdul Razzaq in the 15th over of the innings, he made 28 of 44 balls including three fours. New Zealand were 71-2 with McMillan on 34 and skipper Stephan Fleming on 1 at the end of 15th over.

Earlier Pakistan set New Zealand a formidable target of 279. Pakistan’s innings was built upon second one day international hundred by Shoaib Malik who made a chance less 115. Yousaf Youhana also chipped in with his 18th ODI fifty and made 53 of 51 balls. Brooke Walker was the most successful Kiwi bowler with figures of 2-49 which included the price wickets of Yousaf Youhana and Inzamamul Haq.

PAKISTAN SET A 279 RUN TARGET
LAHORE-Shoaib Malik scored his second century in three games, as Pakistan reached a highly competitive score of 278 for five wickets in their regulation 50 overs. Par for the course in this series as far as first innings scores go, as Pakistan had 275 at Karachi and New Zealand 277 at Rawalpindi.

Though the finish was not as powerful as it could have been, with the last 10 overs going for just 71 runs, it still was a very organised batting display by Pakistan, fifth on the trot if one includes the last two games of Sharjah Cup 2002. And though the Kiwis bowled with a lot of discipline, conceding only three extras in the whole innings, and barring one dropped chance fielded with their usual athleticism, they still had no answer to Pakistan’s clinical efficiency in gathering runs. That without Younis Khan or Abdul Razzaq getting a proper innings. As Razzaq walked in at the fag end, only 17 deliveries remained. He got to face 11 of them, he slammed 22 of them, with two fours and a six, all in the mid-wicket region, to provide some impetus to the innings which was tapering off at the close. Ostensibly because of Malik getting bogged down while looking for his hundred and debutant Misbah-ul-Haq trying to make a success of his first outing. Though the corner stone of the innings was young Malik’s knock, his highest in One-day Internationals, it were the four partnerships which ensured that Pakistan posted a big total without any real difficulty.

Shahid Afridi started the way he usually does, in an exuberant manner, flicking Andre Adams first delivery to deep square leg for a boundary. He hit two more to the fence, and in trying to repeat one of them over mid-wicket, loping a simple catch to Matt Horne at mid-on off Andre Adams.

Yousuf Youhana, who is in high season form these days, chipped in with a brisk 53 (of 51 balls, 5 fours, 2 towering sixes). He seemed to be in the kind of groove that had the promise of a third century in four innings, and once Scott Styris dropped him in the covers of Chris Harris. He really rubbed it in, by clouting Harris for a six and four in the same over and then spanking Ian Butler for two fours next over. But having made his 50 in style, Youhana gave it away when he offered a simple chance to leggie Brooke Walker in his first over. But by then the second wicket stand had posted 93, off mere 103 balls.

Inzamam played well for his 35 (40 balls, 1 four, 1 six) before he trying to clear the field played one right down the throat of Daryl Tuffey at deep mid-wicket off Walker. Pakistan were 191 at this point and the third wicket partnership between Inzamam and Malik had yielded 72 runs. Inzmam was replaced by debutant Misbah-ul-Haq who mostly concentrated on rotating the strike, but with Malik eyeing his century things slowed down a bit, and though Pakistan had posted 207 by the end of40th over, the next four only yielded 19. Malik reached his 100, off 130 balls with 11 fours, but the scoring rate was still a trifle slow. Malik and Misbah, after contributing 59 in 65 balls, departed in quick succession with Razzaq bringing the innings on a more bright note, hitting Styris for a six in the last over to make it count for a dozen.

A highly defendable total, given Pakistan’s potent attack.

KIWIS STARING AT A BIG TOTAL
LAHORE - At 155 for 2, Pakistan seemed well poised for another big score and blank out the Black Caps in this one-day rubber. Youhana continued with his good form, reaching his 50 of just 46 balls, his innings being studded with five lovely fours and two huge sixes(one of Styris over deep square leg in the 16th over and the second one over long on off Harris in the 19th). He seemed to capitalise well on the life given to him by Scott Styris, who after bowling a three over spell for 19 runs, dropped a sitter off Harris in the 19th over when Youhana was on 28.

As if to rub it in, Youhana immediately went after Harris, clouting him for six at mid-wicket and then for a boundary. Next over, Ian Butler too felt the weight of his bat when he cut him for four to point and then imperiously drove him straight to the fence. Next over, he raised his 50, off just 46 deliveries with the help of five fours and a couple of sixes.

The partnership between him and Malik for the second wicket had yielded 93 off a mere 103 balls.

The two were going strong when the Kiwi skipper Fleming brought in his leggie Brooke Walker in the 23rd over, and he immediately delivered by taking a straight forward caught and bowled chance of Youhana, spooning the ball while essaying a flick him in the mid-wicket region. In walked Inzamam, out of sorts as far as big runs are concerned. But he seemed to be in his element today, as he whacked Walker for a huge six over long-on. Malik reached his 50 in the next over, from 76 deliveries, and laced with six fours, some of them really glorious strokes. The partnership was going strong at the end of the 30th over, and with plenty of batting to come, the Black Caps were definitely looking for a big chase under the lights.

PAKISTAN ALL SET FOR A BIG TOTAL
Pakistan started off the third and last match of the series here at the Gaddafi Stadium in front of a decent crowd, likely to build into a big one later in the evening, with a decent run rate, despite a different pair of openers. Shahid Afridi had a new opening partner in Shoaib Malik who came in for Imran Nazir.

While Malik took some time settling down, Daryl Tuffey bowling him two straight maidens, Afridi began as he always does, flicking Andre Adam’s first delivery to deep square leg for a four. He went on to hit two more fours. His third four was right over the head of the bowler and into the long-on fence. Trying to repeat the shot the very next ball, he loped a simple catch to mid-on fielder Matt Horne off Adams. Afridi made a run a ball 18 including three hits across the fence, yet again perishing when he promised greater things.

Yousuf Youhana, in tremendous form of late, walked in and after a cautious start, he was getting into the kind of groove that mostly is ominous for opposition. He superbly cut Ian Butler, the second change, to the point boundary.

On the other end, Malik, who was opening the batting for the first time in his career, was also looking every inch a top order batsman, making 32 of 64 balls with five fours, two of them to Adams in one over at mid-wicket and extra cover. Both had touch of class.

Pakistan reached their 50 in the 12th over (72 balls) for the loss of one wicket, and on the flat pitch the Black Caps were likely to find the going exceedingly tough as the evening progressed.

Earlier, Pakistan made three changes to their side and the Kiwis two. For Pakistan Mohammad Sami came in for Wasim Akram, Shoaib Malik for Saqlain Mushtaq and Misbah-ul-Haq is making his ODI debut replacing Imran Nazir. The Kiwis brought in Chris Harris for Jacob Oram and Ian Butler for glovesman Robbie Hart and Lou Vincent as ‘keeper.

PAKISTAN WIN TOSS AND BAT FIRST
LAHORE -- Pakistan came into the final ODI at Gaddaffi Stadium in Lahore with the series already decided in their favour. They had already won the first two One-day Internationals at Karachi and Rawalpindi, the first with a thumping margin of 157 runs and the second chasing highly competitive 277.

As the home team will be playing for a whitewash the vistitors will be seeking a face saving victory to boost their morale before the upcoming Test series. The wicket, devoid of grass, looked to be another good batting track. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first, opening with Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik.

Thus, the match reduced to academic interest for the hosts, Pakistan made three changes in their side due to their rotation policy in preparation of the 2003 World Cup. Veterans Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq, young opener Imran Nazir were sat out, replaced by Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq respectively.

The Black Caps, fighting for pride here, made two changes, bringing back fit-again one-day specialist Chris Harris in place of Robbie Hart and Ian Butler for Jacob Oram.

Teams

New Zealand: +CJ Nevin, MJ Horne, CD McMillan, AR Adams, L Vincent, SB Styris, *SP Fleming, DR Tuffey, BGK Walker, IG Butler, CZ Harris

Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Abdur Razzaq, Inzamam-ul-Haq, +Rashid Latif, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Malik, *Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar