Zaman’s 73 helps Pak beat Australia
HARARE: Pakistan’s opener Fakhar Zaman blazed his way to a career-best 73 as his side completed a clinical 45-run victory over Australia on Thursday in the Twenty20 tri-series in Zimbabwe. Zaman’s knock helped his side race to 194 for 7 before leftarm seamer Shaheen Afridi starred with three wickets as Pakistan’s bowlers held Australia to 149 for 7 in a match which was effectively a dress rehearsal for Sunday’s final.
Pakistan had lost Haris Sohail for a golden duck after being put in to bat on a chilly midwinter morning in Harare, but Zaman and Hussain Talat wrested back control back with a rapid 72-run stand. Talat cracked three fours and a six before playing one shot too many to be bowled by Glenn Maxwell’s offspin.
Zaman continued to middle his aggressive strokes and went to a 33-ball 50, his third for Pakistan in this format, with a slog sweep for six, while another big hit off Tye’s seamers took the batsman past his previous best of 61. An edged four took Pakistan beyond 130, and Zaman into the 70s, in the 15th over, but he pulled the next ball he faced straight to Maxwell at midwicket.
The quick dismissal of captain Sarfraz Ahmed, edging a Tye legcutter into the hands of wicketkeeper Alex Carey, put a further dent in Pakistan’s batting, but the experienced Shoaib Malik ensured that the runs kept flowing. He hit 15 off the 17th over, bowled by Marcus Stoinis, boosting Pakistan beyond 150. After he fell, Asif Ali struck three fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 37 to keep the pressure on Australia right to the end of the innings.
Pakistan kept up the pressure with the ball, with Afridi taking the vital early wicket of Aaron Finch when the Australian captain had made just 16.
Afridi swung and seamed the ball prodigiously to trouble the batsmen. He trapped Glenn Maxwell lbw, and then rattled D’arcy Short’s stumps as Australia slipped to 75 for 5.
Australia’s chase never recovered from the early losses, with the rest of Pakistan’s attack chipping in with wickets in a muchimproved performance.
BRATHWAITE CENTURY PUTS WINDIES ON TOP
ANTIGUA : Kraigg Brathwaite completed a seventh Test century as the West Indies turned the screws on Bangladesh on the second day of the first Test in Antigua on Thursday.
The Windies reached 271 for three in reply to the tourists’ first innings total of 43 at lunch at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
They resume in the afternoon session with the phlegmatic opener unbeaten on 121 in partnership with Shai Hope (14 not out) and the home side already ahead by 128 runs with eight first innings wickets in hand.
Under no pressure to accelerate the game after Kemar Roach had led the pacers’ demolition of the tourists for their lowest Test innings total ever on Day 1, Brathwaite progressed at a snail’s pace on the second morning.
He added 33 runs in two hours’ play with the West Indies advancing overall by 70 runs from their overnight position of 201 for two. Nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo was the lone casualty for the hosts as he was bowled by Kamrul Islam for 19 after yet again making an important contribution in support of the senior batsman. Their third-wicket stand was worth 52 runs and Brathwaite reached the century along the way via a rare expression of aggression in slashing a short, wide delivery from Kamrul to the backward point boundary.