Date-stamped : 02 Jan97 - 22:14
report-Dawn

Pakistan cruise to 4-wicket victory over Australia

Qamar Ahmed

SYDNEY, Jan 1: Pakistan makes the heart beat faster when they
have a target to chase. Against Australia at the Sydney Cricket
Ground they did just that to keep a more than capacity crowd of
37,476 on their toes while going for 200 runs set to win after
the Australians were bowled out for 199 in the 46th over.

Their four-wicket win was achieved with 4.3 overs to spare in
the fifty-over match but not before they lost their last three
wickets for the addition of 51 runs after being comfortably
placed at 129 for 2 in the 31st over. When Australia batted
after having won the toss, the Pakistan bowlers exhibited a lot
of control and aggression and took their catches, some of them
spectacular and also ran out the Australian captain Mark Taylor
and Tim Moody with direct throws and later were off to a good
start with an opening stand of 54 as Aamir Sohail and Shahid
Afridi posted the fifty of the innings in only 8.3 overs of
which Afridi made a brisk 34 with the help of six fours.

He was caught at mid-on by Greg Blewett off Shane Warne's second
delivery and so was Zahoor Elahi, who was back without scoring,
not knowing how to handle the spin of Shane Warne. But Aamir
Sohail, who made a gritty 52, and Ijaz Ahmed put on 75 runs
between them for the third wicket to put Pakistan well in
control. Sohail's dismissal by Warne after he had stayed for 135
minutes was followed by that of Inzamam-ul-Haq who was beaten by
the spin to lose his off stump. But Ijaz Ahmed, now a seasoned
stroke-player, made the bowlers struggle in the absence of Paul
Reiffel who had to retire after bowling only 3.3 overs with
hamstring injury. Like Aamir Sohail earlier Ijaz reached his
fifty, the 20th in one-day games, having struck three fours. He
was flawless till he skied one at long leg off Stuart Law to be
out for 58. There were seven intrusions during the Pakistan
innings as streakers and the daring ones jumped the fence to
disturb play and the batsmen's concentration.

It made little or no effect as Pakistan inched ahead towards the
target. At 160 Ijaz's dismissal and that of Wasim Akram by
Stuart Law must have given Australia some hope but that was
dashed by young Mohammad Wasim's defiance and Moin Khan's
enterprising stroke-play. Wasim made 16 and Moin 17 with three
fours off Mark Waugh in the 46th over.

Australia earlier had a dismal start when at 24 Taylor was run
out by Saqlain as he went for a single and Mark Waugh was caught
at the wicket. Stuart Law and Steve Waugh put on 51 for the
third wicket. Mushtaq Ahmed, on his third delivery of the first
over, had Law caught by Zahoor Elahi for 23 and later Steve
Waugh swept at Saqlain Mushtaq to be bowled for 42 in the 22nd
over. Michael Bevan and Greg Blewett were bogged down by the
steady bowling of Saqlain, Afridi and Mushtaq but they put on 58
runs for the fifth wicket. Once it was broken by Aamir Sohail
who had Blewett bowled for 33 and Bevan was taken by Afridi it
was all the way a struggle for the rest.

Source::  Dawn (http://xiber.com/dawn/)


Report- Electronic Telegraph

Sohail anchors easy victory

AAMIR SOHAIL scored a half-century and claimed two wickets to
steer Pakistan to a comfortable four-wicket win against
Australia in their limited-overs World Series match here
yesterday.

Opener Sohail played the anchor role with 52 as Pakistan
overhauled Australia's 199 all out to reach 203 for six with 27
balls to spare.

The left-arm orthodox spinner had earlier removed all-rounder
Greg Blewett for 33 and fast bowler Paul Reiffel for three as
Australia laboured to master Pakistan's spin attack.

After taking two for 33 from his spell of nine overs, Sohail
added 54 runs in a brisk opening partnership with Shahid Afridi.
Afridi, who joined Sohail, Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq in
Pakistan's four-pronged spin attack, hammered six fours in a
rapid 34 off 27 deliveries.

Ijaz Ahmed lifted his side within sight of their target by
hitting 58 off 83 balls before becoming one of Stuart Law's two
victims. Leg-spinner Shane Warne, who was named man of the
match, snared two wickets in his first over and played a lone
hand with four for 37 as Australia used eight bowlers to try and
defend a modest total.

Seamer Reiffel broke down with a hamstring strain in his fourth
over and joins a growing list of strike bowlers out of action
this season.

Young South Australian paceman Jason Gillespie succumbed to a
side strain after just three overs of the third-Test loss to the
West Indies in Melbourne last week.

It is not the first time Reiffel has strained a hamstring, and
Glenn McGrath might find himself sharing the new ball with
rookies Andrew Bichel or Anthony Stuart in the fourth Test in
Adelaide, starting on Jan 25.

Earlier, Steve Waugh's 42 was the best of an ordinary effort
with the bat. Pakistan were excellent in the field and
deservedly recorded their second straight win over Australia in
the triangular tournament.

Captain Mark Taylor made just 11 before being run out by a
direct hit from off spinner Saqlain. Taylor has made one fifty
all season and only one in his last 22 first-class innings.

Saqlain, the most prolific wicket-taker in one-day cricket in
1996 with 65, took three for 23 from 7.1 overs and also ran out
Tom Moody for four with a direct hit.

Pakistan have called up Ijaz Ahmed Junior and Mujahid Jamshed to
Australia. They are expected to arrive before the end of the
week. The move comes after experienced opening batsman Saeed
Anwar, weakened by a lingering virus, was forced to return home.

Mujahid, 24, is uncapped while Ijaz Junior, 26, has played two
tests against Sri Lanka. Their visas could not be processed in
Islamabad on Wednesday because of the Australian New Year's Day
public holiday but the team management expect the pair to be on
an Australia-bound flight shortly.

Source:: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/)

<END> Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)