Captain Misbah-ul-Haq scored a steady half-century and effected two crucial run-outs as Pakistan clinched the one-day series against Zimbabwe with a sizeable win in Saturday’s third and final match.
Misbah’s 67 proved to be the top score in the game as Pakistan posted a total of 260 for six, before bowling Zimbabwe out in 40 overs to win by 108 runs and complete a 2-1 series victory.
The series decider had been cast into doubt after Zimbabwe’s players threatened to boycott the match over unpaid salaries and match fees, but the home side took the field after setting a new ultimatum for the first Test tomorrow.
Photo: AFP
For a side with off-field distractions, the Zimbabweans started surprisingly well in the field after Brendan Taylor had won the toss and asked Pakistan to bat on a slow surface.
The tourists made a circumspect start with openers Ahmed Shehzad and Nasir Jamshed putting on 66 for the first wicket at a sluggish pace, and the innings became stilted when Jamshed departed and Mohammad Hafeez was forced to retire hurt soon afterward.
OVERLY CAUTIOUS
Although Misbah at one stage appeared overly cautious in scoring just 16 from his first 45 deliveries, the tactic was vindicated as the stability it provided allowed Pakistan to score 120 in the final 13 overs.
“I was really struggling because the ball wasn’t coming onto the bat. There was a bit of inconsistent bounce and inconsistent pace, so I just made sure we played all 50 overs and if we could score 250 or more that could be really defendable on this pitch,” Misbah said.
While Shehzad contributed 54, Umar Amin was crucial in adding momentum to the innings as he struck a brisk 33, while Sarfraz Ahmed and the returning Hafeez also weighed in during a late flurry that lifted Pakistan to a solid score.
Zimbabwe’s reply never really got going, and was hampered by run-outs to key batsmen.
Captain Brendan Taylor made a promising 26 before Misbah’s direct hit accounted for his opposite number, while Sean Williams was also dismissed by the Pakistani skipper.
COLLAPSE
After Zimbabwe had collapsed to 87 for six in the 23rd over, Malcolm Waller and Prosper Utseya put on 58 for the next wicket before the latter was run out in a mix-up.
Waller was the last man out for 48 when he got a leading edge off the bowling of Saeed Ajmal, as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 152.
“We were definitely up for it today and we restricted them to a total that we felt comfortable chasing, but there was maybe a bit of panic there when it was time to chase it down,” Taylor said.
“All in all I think we can take a lot of heart out of the series — they came back strong as we expected, but there were definitely a lot of positives we can take away,” he said.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two