Cricinfo





 





Live Scorecards
Fixtures - Results






England v Pakistan
Top End Series
Stanford 20/20
Twenty20 Cup
ICC Intercontinental Cup





News Index
Photo Index



Women's Cricket
ICC
Rankings/Ratings



Match/series archive
Statsguru
Players/Officials
Grounds
Records
All Today's Yesterdays









Cricinfo Magazine
The Wisden Cricketer

Wisden Almanack



Reviews
Betting
Travel
Games
Cricket Manager







Youhana snuffs out Zimbabwe's hopes
Wisden CricInfo staff - December 1, 2002

Pakistan 300 for 7 (Younis Khan 90, Yousuf Youhana 88) beat Zimbabwe 230 (A Flower 72, Afridi 3-45) by 70 runs
Scorecard

Pakistan completed a 5-0 series whitewash over Zimbabwe with a comfortable 70-run victory in the final match at Harare. Pakistan recovered from a dodgy start to pass 300 for the fourth time in the series, after Younis Khan and Yousuf Youhana had laid the foundations of victory with a fifth-wicket partnership of 129. Not even an in-form Andy Flower was able to pull off a consolation win for Zimbabwe, as they slumped from 134 for 2 to 230 with four overs to spare.

Zimbabwe won the toss, and Alistair Campbell's decision to bowl first was vindicated when Travis Friend grabbed the wickets of Kamran Akmal (3) and Misbah-ul-Haq (0) in the fourth over to leave Pakistan wobbling at 16 for 2. When the recalled Henry Olonga had Faisal Iqbal caught by Grant Flower for 25 in the ninth over Zimbabwe appeared to have a chance of limiting Pakistan to a reasonable total.

Youhana and Inzamam-ul-Haq stopped the rot with a solid stand of 51, ended when Inzamam gently chipped a return catch to Brian Murphy for 25 (90 for 4). But the arrival of Younis shifted the balance of the game.

As both batsmen cut loose, the Zimbabwe fielding deteriorated and the bowling lost its earlier tight control. It took a direct hit from Grant Flower to end Youhana's occupation of the crease (219 for 5). His 88 was his first dismissal of the series, completing a staggering run of form that had realised 405 runs in only 342 balls. Younis though ploughed on, until he edged Douglas Hondo to wicketkeeper Andy Flower for 90 from 75 balls.

Zimbabwe began their pursuit positively, despite the early wicket of Mark Vermeulen, and so long as Andy Flower was at the crease they were in with a chance. Dion Ebrahim (36) provided solid support, but the chase petered out when both fell in the space of four overs. Flower was caught by Wasim Akram off Saqlain Mushtaq for 72, from 68 balls.

Saqlain and Shahid Afridi, with his big leaping legbreaks, then bamboozled the Zimbabwean middle-order, and it was only thanks to a late flurry of sixes from Olonga that Zimbabwe were able to pass 200. Olonga was eventually caught and bowled by Mohammad Sami, leaving Hondo unbeaten on 15.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd