Pakistan 323 for 3 (Taufeeq Umar 68, Salim Elahi 108, Yousuf Youhana 100*) beat Zimbabwe 275 for 7 (Vermeulen 79, A Flower 63, G Flower 54, Saqlain Mushtaq 3-41) by 48 runs
Scorecard

Centuries from Salim Elahi and Yousuf Youhana helped Pakistan to a comfortable 48-run victory over Zimbabwe in the third ODI at the Harare Sports Club, a result which gave them an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Zimbabwe made four changes to try to stem the runs their bowlers had been haemorrhaging, but the replacements proved that the well is almost dry as far as new talent is concerned. Zimbabwe's ineffectual attack conceded 300 runs for the third time in as many games, and although they batted with more conviction than at Bulawayo, they were always second-best in this contest.

Pakistan were barely inconvenienced by being put in after losing the toss. Taufeeq Umar and Elahi got the innings off to a solid start, as the bowlers never extracted the hoped-for help from the greenish pitch. Taufeeq and Elahi scored with ease, and posted 154 for the first wicket inside 30 overs. Zimbabwe's ground fielding was good, but their catching was dire - both openers were reprieved when simple chances were spilled.

Zimbabwe did eventually break through when Taufeeq fell to a tumbling catch from Mark Vermeulen at deep midwicket off Grant Flower for 68, but that just brought in Youhana, who quickly picked up the tempo. He and Elahi added 92 for the second wicket, before Elahi was run out for 108 after reaching his second successive hundred(246 for 2).

Pakistan wobbled briefly as Shahid Afridi drilled his second ball from Gary Brent straight to Mluleki Nkala at deep midwicket (246 for 3). But Youhana hurtled on, aided now by the impressive Kamran Akmal, and reached his hundred with a six off the last ball of the innings. His ton came from just 68 deliveries, and in the series so far he has scored 317 runs from 249 balls without being dismissed.

Faced with such a daunting target Zimbabwe were always chasing shadows, even with Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram being horribly out of sorts. Mark Vermeulen and Dion Ebrahim put on 40 in a bright opening stand before Ebrahim was run out for 7.

Vermeulen ploughed on, riding his luck when he was caught on the boundary off a no-ball in a remarkable over from Mohammad Zahid from which he took 15 runs. After 15 overs he had scored 71 of Zimbabwe's 85 runs.

The drinks break did for Alistair Campbell, who slashed at Zahid and was well caught by Taufeeq at second slip for 6 (89 for 2), and then the spinners brought Vermeulen to a shuddering halt. He was reprieved by Akmal's missed stumping, but almost immediately fell leg-before to Shahid Afridi's quicker ball for 79 (108 for 3).

With the Flower brothers at the crease Zimbabwe had a glimmer of hope, but their fourth-wicket stand of 104 took almost 19 overs, and by the time that Grant was bowled by Saqlain Mushtaq for 54 the asking rate was almost in double figures, and the game as good as over.

As Zimbabwe chased respectability, Sean Ervine holed out to Saqlain for 1 (223 for 5), and three balls later Andy Flower did likewise for 63 (225 for 6). By the time Craig Evans was bowled for 17 trying to hit Zahid into downtown Harare in the penultimate over the match had long since taken second stage to the presence on the ground of ICC's investigative panel, which is looking at safety issues ahead of next year's World Cup.

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