Close Pakistan 344 for 5 (Taufeeq Umar 76, Salim Elahi 107, Yousuf Youhana 76*) beat Zimbabwe 140 for 6 in 33 overs (Ervine 61*, Wasim Akram 4-22) by 104 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method)
Scorecard

It rained in Bulawayo – but not early enough to save a weakened Zimbabwe side from a heavy beating in the second one-day international. Pakistan, for whom Salim Elahi smacked a century and Yousuf Youhana a whirlwind undefeated 76, now lead 2-0 with three to play.

The rain brought a premature end to proceedings, but Zimbabwe were already miles adrift, needing another 205 runs from 17 overs with only four wickets remaining. Messrs Duckworth and Lewis awarded the match to Pakistan by the little matter of 104 runs.

In the first match on Saturday, the makeshift Zimbabwe team pulled off something of a surprise by staying in the hunt until the final over. But today, their inexperienced attack was mauled. The Zimbabweans were already without their captain and new-ball bowler Heath Streak, who sustained a shoulder injury in a traffic accident in Colombo recently, as well as Douglas Hondo and Travis Friend. So when Andy Blignaut and Henry Olonga reported leg injuries, the Zims were forced to hand out their fourth new cap of the weekend, to Waddington Mwayenga, a schoolboy who has played only two first-class matches. Mluleki Nkala was also recalled, and the only bowler with any significant experience was Grant Flower, the left-arm spinner.

Predictably, none of the bowlers was able to stem the onslaught. Salim Elahi, who cracked 16 fours, added 159 for the first wicket with Taufeeq Umar, and when Shahid Afridi sauntered out to bat with18 overs to play with, Zimbabwe feared the worst. Afridi duly slogged a couple of fours and a pair of sixes in his 18-ball stay, and the only Pakistani to miss out was Wasim Akram, who was promoted to No. 5, but fell third ball to Craig Evans for 1.

That was when the real fireworks began. Youhana was joined first by Azhar Mahmood, then by Kamran Akmal, as Pakistan blitzed 74 runs in the final 34 balls of the innings to tot up a massive 344 for 5. Youhana's jet-propelled 76 came from only 34 balls, with three fours and eight sixes. He warmed up for this innings with a sedate 141 from 147 yesterday, and scored 217 runs in the weekend, from just 181 balls – and he wasn't dismissed.

Zimbabwe needed a good start and a big innings from Andy Flower – but Wasim Akram stymied both those fond hopes. In his first over he trapped Stuart Matsikenyeri in front with the first ball he bowled to him, and in the next over rapped Flower's stumps for a duck. The match was as good as over when Wasim struck twice more, to remove Grant Flower for 1 and Barney Rogers for another duck. Wasim finished with 4 for 22 from his seven overs.

Waqar Younis chipped in with the wicket of Evans – his 399th in ODIs – before the stand-in captain Alistair Campbell stuck around for 32. When he fell to Afridi it was 64 for 6, but a muscular innings from Sean Ervine – 61 not out from 41 balls, with nine fours and two big sixes – saved his side from total embarrassment. But it was never close, and Zimbabwe are in need of a clean bill of health almost as much as England at the moment.

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