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Zimbabwe staring at defeat Wisden CricInfo staff - November 18, 2002
Close Zimbabwe 178 and 167 for 3 (A Flower 10*) trail Pakistan 403 (Youhana 159, Akmal 56, Younis 52, Price 4-116) by 58 runs Zimbabwe were staring at a heavy defeat in the second Test at Bulawayo, despite a brave 88-run partnership between Alistair Campbell and Grant Flower, after Yousuf Youhana's tenth Test century had given Pakistan a first-innings lead of 225. By the close, Pakistan were still 58 runs to the good, needing just five more wickets to wrap up a 2-0 series win. With the pitch already offering plenty of turn - so much so that Saqlain Mushtaq was given the new ball ahead of Shoaib Akhtar - there can surely be no way out for Zimbabwe, not even with Andy Flower still there, on 10 not out. Campbell and Flower had come together at 37 for 2, after Waqar Younis had trapped both openers lbw inside the first seven overs. The bulk of their runs came from a subdued Shoaib, whose first six scattergun overs disappeared for 52 runs. He appeared to be suffering from a knee injury, though he returned after tea to bowl Flower for 43 (125 for 3). Campbell had progressed to 62 when Mohammad Sami took his first wicket of the match (146 for 4), and the slump was complete when Hamilton Masakadza misread Saqlain's doosra, and chipped a catch to Yousuf Youhana at silly mid-off for 15. It proved to be the last ball of the day.
The morning session had belonged to Pakistan, who extended their lead from the overnight 117 to an emphatic 225. Over two-thirds of that lead came courtesy of Youhana, who was finally dismissed for 159, an innings that mixed good fortune with fine strokeplay, while 20-year-old wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal made his first half-century in his second Test. Youhana and Akmal extended their sixth-wicket partnership to 121 in only 26 overs before Akmal fell. Having played spunkily for 56, he was trapped lbw on the back foot by Mluleki Nkala (346 for 6). Youhana was next to go, bowled by a grubber from Ray Price (374 for 7), and Price had his another wicket when Saqlain skied to the substitute Charles Coventry - queue puns about where he should be sent for such a shot - at mid-on (387 for 8). The last two wickets weren't long in falling. Mohammad Sami edged Andy Blignaut to slip, and Waqar Younis holed out off Price. Price toiled through 51.3 overs to take 4 for 116, but Zimbabwe will not know that anything he can do, Saqlain can do better.
© Wisden CricInfo Ltd |
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