da marjack bet： Another cricket match, another easy victory for Pakistan
John Ward30-Nov-2002Another cricket match, another easy victory for Pakistan. Faisal Iqbalenjoyed his day with a century, but after another appalling batting displayby Zimbabwe’s top order that threatened to complete the match before lunch,only a superb fighting hundred by Grant Flower made it – and someentertainment for the Saturday afternoon crowd – possible. The tourists wontheir fourth straight victory by eight wickets, in the 36th over.On another hot sunny day, with another good-looking pitch at Harare SportsClub, Zimbabwe changed the usual script and batted on winning the toss.They made two more changes to their team, replacing Craig Evans and MlulekiNkala with former captain Brian Murphy and all-rounder Travis Friend,another whose accuracy is often in question. This completed a change of theentire specialist bowling line-up from the Bulawayo matches.Pakistan rested captain Waqar Younis from this match, Mohammad Samireturning, and Inzamam-ul-Haq took over the reins. Openers Saleem Elahi andTaufeeq Umar, having feasted lavishly, relinquished their places at thebanquet table to Misbah-ul-Haq, his first tour match, and Younis Khan.Flower’s innings, together with 48 from Friend, stood out among a dismalarray of single-figure innings by Zimbabwe’s psychologically challengedbatsmen. Zimbabwe owed everything to these two as they totalled 210 all outafter being 13 for four and then 31 for six.Zimbabwe responded to batting first on a pitch with good bounce but onlyoccasional movement with an execrable display from their top order. Theywere given a wrong-footed start by local umpire Ahmed Esat, who sent backMark Vermeulen (9) lbw to a delivery from Shoaib Akhtar that was headingdown the leg side.Within minutes, Alistair Campbell (0) had helpfully steered Mohammad Samiinto the gully, while Andy Flower left first ball, quiteuncharacteristically driving too ambitiously given the situation and beingcaught at slip. When Dion Ebrahim (2) chopped a ball from Shoaib on to hisstumps from a crooked back-foot shot, Zimbabwe were 13 for four and lookingas bankrupt in the batting department as in their bowling. Or, more likely,it was simply a lack of guts and determination. 25 minutes after the start,the match was already as good as over as a contest.A brief stand followed between Grant Flower and Sean Ervine, before thelatter steered Mohammad Zahid to second slip to depart for 5; Zimbabwe 36for five. The shambles continued as Mohammad Sami caught the edge ofTatenda Taibu’s bat, for wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal to take a good flyingcatch, sending him back without scoring.Grant Flower was still there, although most of the time struggling forsurvival rather than asserting his authority. Travis Friend begancautiously but grew in confidence, playing his strokes wisely until on 48 hedrove too ambitiously at Shahid Afridi and was bowled. Zimbabwe were now123 for seven, after a partnership of 82.Grant, now working the ball skilfully around the field, went on to reach hisfifty off 89 balls, although it had seemed a lot longer in the context ofthe game. Gary Brent (8) drove over a ball from Sami and Brian Murphy wasgiven out, under-edging an attempted pull off Sami to the keeper, afterseveral replays. Zimbabwe were 164 for nine.Douglas Hondo stuck in while both sides then played their usual games tryingto manipulate the strike with the last pair together. Grant reached one ofhis finest fighting centuries off 144 balls in the penultimate over andfinished unbeaten with 105, exactly half the total, as Hondo, with one ballto go, swung at Saqlain and skyed a catch for 5.Kamran Akmal, promoted to open the Pakistan innings with Faisal Iqbal, wassoon hammering boundaries with gay abandon, mostly through cuts or off-sidedrives. As on Wednesday, Zimbabwe’s bowlers were not as wildly erratic asthey had been in Bulawayo, but they were unable to threaten and even theirsmall indiscretions were punished by outstanding batting. Again, threedifficult chances went down, luxuries that Zimbabwe certainly cannot affordwith their lack of bowling.Kamran, the escapee on each occasion, raced to 38, became bogged down as thebowlers tightened up, and then edged Hondo to the keeper for 44; Pakistanwere 58 for one. Faisal took over the role of main aggressor, whileZimbabwe managed to put down two more chances. Gary Brent was the mosteconomical bowler until Faisal decided to take control, hitting him for twosixes and a four in the same over.Faisal, who had not batted in his previous two matches in this one-dayseries, proceeded to his century, but an attempted quick single to reachthree figures resulted in the run-out of Younis Khan for 56. The pair hadadded 151 for the second wicket. In the next over Faisal reached threefigures, off only 97 balls (10 fours, 3 sixes), and Misbah-ul-Haq followedup with the winning run.