Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Showing posts with label record. Show all posts
Showing posts with label record. Show all posts
Monday, 28 October 2013
Smith lauds South Africa's 'immense' record
It took a little longer than appear likely at one stage, but South Africa's comfortably victory extends a formidable overseas sequence which vindicates their No. 1 statusBefore Graeme Smith went in for ankle surgery in May, the doctor gave him a worrying warning. "If this doesn't work, I don't know what I am going to do," he said to the South African captain. Smith had suffered an ankle impingement in April last year, which ruled him out of the IPL, and had chronic ankle pain for a period of time before that. He had an operation last year before South Africa's tour of England but this year needed another - one he refers to as "major," - because the problem had not been entirely solved. The recent one, which meant he had cut short his first season with Surrey, involved putting two pins into his heel to correct a stress fracture and would keep him out of the game for six months, much longer than the ten weeks he had on the sidelines 2012. "I had a lot of time to reflect on my career and I wondered if there would be more," he said. Smith didn't have to explain his fear that he thought there was a chance he may not take the field again because it was obvious from the pride he took in his own performance. "I worked really hard to get to where I am now. To have come back and scored a double hundred in these conditions - almost sub-continental and with the heat - is something I will never forget. I am proud of it. I will cherish this innings for the rest of my life." His 234 was the biggest individual difference between South Africa and Pakistan in Dubai and it was as much a personal achievement as it was a team feat. Without Smith's innings, a canvas painted by hard grind rather than attractive strokeplay, South Africa would not have had the platform from which it did not matter that their lower-order collapsed. Without his knock, they could have lost the match and their record run on the road could have ended. Cricketers often claim numbers don't matter to them until they've called it a day but there are two that mean a great to deal to South Africa right now. The No.1 ranking is the first of them. They would not have lost it had they been defeated 2-0 in this series but their lead would have been substantially cut. Their unbeaten away streak since 2006 is the other because it explains, without needing to use too many words, why they are the top-ranked Test team. South Africa have not won a series in the subcontinent, apart from victories in Bangladesh, since beating Pakistan in 2007 but they have drawn in India and now, in the UAE. That speaks about their ability to "find a way," as Smith likes to put it to win in conditions they are unaccustomed to and which are intended to work against them. I don't think many teams in the current set-up can travel as well as we do and be able to perform in the different environments and under the different pressures. I don't think the team gets enough credit for that. It's an immense record Graeme Smith on South Africa away from home It illustrates what Smith and AB de Villiers' innings showed: how to construct scores on pitches which take turn, outfields which are slow and bowlers who know how to exploit the conditions with movement and spin. But on the fourth day of this match, it was their bowlers' ability which was highlighted. Despite being kept in the field for much longer than they expected, the attack barely strayed from their plans. They were disciplined in length, using the short ball as a threat rather than a regulation delivery, and understanding the need to pitch it up. Even when Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq looked as though they would bat out the day, the bowlers did not panic and held their control. Part-time left-arm spinner Dean Elgar took advantage of a lapse in concentration from Misbah and then South Africa knew it was just a matter of time. They finished Pakistan off before the end of the day to extend their record of adaptability to include the UAE. "Once they got in and the ball got soft, it became difficult," Smith admitted. "We controlled the run-rate and they were never scoring at more than 2.5 to the over and we knew if we kept doing that, there was going to be one opportunity and Dean got that one opportunity." They have now gone 12 series without being beaten away from home and Smith thinks that has the makings of the start of a legacy similar to the Australia and West India sides of old. "I don't want to be throwing that label around to the public just yet, I think we still have a long way to go but I don't think many teams in the current set-up can travel as well as we do and be able to perform in the different environments and under the different pressures," he said. "I don't think the team gets enough credit for that. It's an immense record and we are very proud of it. We want to go on and win more series, dominate, we want to play good cricket set a standard and we are on the right path." How South Africa have managed to win away from home is, according to Smith, down mostly to experience. "Part of playing away from home is finding a way to morph in those conditions," he said. "We have a great understanding of that and how to work our way into conditions." That was why, unlike his surgeon, Smith never got to the point where he did not know what would work. At 1-0 down in the series, South Africa were confident of coming back. And despite Pakistan batting fluently with six wickets in hand, Smith had no doubt his bowlers would complete the job. Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
South Africa preserve away record in Test series
South Africa 517 (Smith 234, de Villiers 164, Ajmal 6-151) beat Pakistan 99 (Tahir 5-32) & 326 (Shafiq 130, Duminy 3-67) by an innings and 92 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details South Africa's unbeaten run in Test series on the road will extend even further after their victory in Dubai, which allowed them to share the spoils of this two-match rubber with Pakistan. The last time South Africa lost a Test series abroad was in Sri Lanka in 2006. Since then, they have become the No. 1 ranked Test team and they will stay there, but their lead will be cut by four points by virtue of the drawn series. Pakistan have risen to No. 4, thanks to their victory in Abu Dhabi, but were unable to protect fortress UAE, losing in their adopted home for the first time since moving here in 2010. They went down fighting though, with Asad Shafiq notching up his highest score in Test cricket and sharing in a 197-run fifth wicket stand with Misbah-ul-Haq, which kept South Africa in the field for much longer than they would have anticipated. On the fourth evening, AB de Villiers said the team felt they were one wicket away from running through Pakistan. That dismissal came 20 minutes before tea as Misbah, who had treated South Africa's attack with the caution of someone handling a shipment of crystal glasses, gifted Dean Elgar, the part-time spinner, his first Test wicket. In Elgar's second over, Misbah attempted to slog him out of the park, but got a thick outside edge which Jacques Kallis collected at first slip. That ended a vigil in which Misbah had ushered Shafiq to his second century against this opposition, and the fourth of his career, and seen off the second new ball to put Pakistan in a position to frustrate South Africa even further. They had only one wicket-taking opportunity before Misbah's lapse in concentration, when Shafiq was given out lbw in the fifth over to a Vernon Philander delivery that pitched on leg-stump and hit him on the front pad. He was on 36 at the time and reviewed with replays showing the ball would have missed leg stump. Shafiq survived and went on to play a balanced innings combining defence with attack, particularly against the spinners. His footwork against Imran Tahir and JP Duminy was excellent, typified by the shot of the day - a spank over midwicket off Tahir. Misbah was more stoic, nudging the ball into spaces and encouraging Shafiq to keep the scoreboard moving, but not too quickly. They both brought up half-centuries off 121 balls before slowing down as the second new ball came. Once comfortable against it, Shafiq pushed past his captain after lunch. He danced into the nineties with a boundary off Duminy and brought up his century with a square drive off a full and wide ball from the same bowler. Encouragingly for Pakistan, once the milestone had been reached, Shafiq kept going. Misbah will be furious that he did not do the same. Although South Africa's attack did not lapse into the lazy short-ball showing they put on in Abu Dhabi, they seemed to be running out of ideas. After trying everything from having two short midwickets in against the spinners - between whom Shafiq threaded the ball through - to having two short covers in for the quicks, Smith turned to Elgar to buy time. Smith would probably not have imagined getting a wicket off the tactic, Elgar's delivery was innocuous as well, but once Misbah ran out of patience, the result was a foregone conclusion. Pakistan's tail proved pesky to remove even though they were without Zulfiqar Babar, who did not bat because of the torn webbing on his right hand. With a ball short of 10 overs remaining in the day, Shafiq, after resisting for seven hours, was stumped off JP Duminy, to give him the same number of wickets as Tahir in the innings - three. On this day in 1952 Pakistan won their first Test, beating India in Lucknow. They did not have reason to celebrate on their anniversary but they did enjoy some positive signs as they dragged the Test late into the fourth afternoon and pushed South Africa as much as they could given their first innings failing. Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details South Africa's unbeaten run in Test series on the road will extend even further after their victory in Dubai, which allowed them to share the spoils of this two-match rubber with Pakistan. The last time South Africa lost a Test series abroad was in Sri Lanka in 2006. Since then, they have become the No. 1 ranked Test team and they will stay there, but their lead will be cut by four points by virtue of the drawn series. Pakistan have risen to No. 4, thanks to their victory in Abu Dhabi, but were unable to protect fortress UAE, losing in their adopted home for the first time since moving here in 2010. They went down fighting though, with Asad Shafiq notching up his highest score in Test cricket and sharing in a 197-run fifth wicket stand with Misbah-ul-Haq, which kept South Africa in the field for much longer than they would have anticipated. On the fourth evening, AB de Villiers said the team felt they were one wicket away from running through Pakistan. That dismissal came 20 minutes before tea as Misbah, who had treated South Africa's attack with the caution of someone handling a shipment of crystal glasses, gifted Dean Elgar, the part-time spinner, his first Test wicket. In Elgar's second over, Misbah attempted to slog him out of the park, but got a thick outside edge which Jacques Kallis collected at first slip. That ended a vigil in which Misbah had ushered Shafiq to his second century against this opposition, and the fourth of his career, and seen off the second new ball to put Pakistan in a position to frustrate South Africa even further. They had only one wicket-taking opportunity before Misbah's lapse in concentration, when Shafiq was given out lbw in the fifth over to a Vernon Philander delivery that pitched on leg-stump and hit him on the front pad. He was on 36 at the time and reviewed with replays showing the ball would have missed leg stump. Shafiq survived and went on to play a balanced innings combining defence with attack, particularly against the spinners. His footwork against Imran Tahir and JP Duminy was excellent, typified by the shot of the day - a spank over midwicket off Tahir. Misbah was more stoic, nudging the ball into spaces and encouraging Shafiq to keep the scoreboard moving, but not too quickly. They both brought up half-centuries off 121 balls before slowing down as the second new ball came. Once comfortable against it, Shafiq pushed past his captain after lunch. He danced into the nineties with a boundary off Duminy and brought up his century with a square drive off a full and wide ball from the same bowler. Encouragingly for Pakistan, once the milestone had been reached, Shafiq kept going. Misbah will be furious that he did not do the same. Although South Africa's attack did not lapse into the lazy short-ball showing they put on in Abu Dhabi, they seemed to be running out of ideas. After trying everything from having two short midwickets in against the spinners - between whom Shafiq threaded the ball through - to having two short covers in for the quicks, Smith turned to Elgar to buy time. Smith would probably not have imagined getting a wicket off the tactic, Elgar's delivery was innocuous as well, but once Misbah ran out of patience, the result was a foregone conclusion. Pakistan's tail proved pesky to remove even though they were without Zulfiqar Babar, who did not bat because of the torn webbing on his right hand. With a ball short of 10 overs remaining in the day, Shafiq, after resisting for seven hours, was stumped off JP Duminy, to give him the same number of wickets as Tahir in the innings - three. On this day in 1952 Pakistan won their first Test, beating India in Lucknow. They did not have reason to celebrate on their anniversary but they did enjoy some positive signs as they dragged the Test late into the fourth afternoon and pushed South Africa as much as they could given their first innings failing. Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent
Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Monday, 2 September 2013
Shehzad's record 98* sets up 2-0 sweep
Pakistan 179 for 1 (Shehzad 98*, Hafeez 54*) beat Zimbabwe 160 for 6 (H Masakadza 41, Hafeez 3-30, Babar 2-21) by 19 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Ahmed Shehzad established several records on way to plundering Zimbabwe for an unbeaten 98, which sealed a 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 series for Pakistan. Shehzad bettered his best T20 international innings of 70, achieved in the previous game, to make the highest score in the format by a Pakistan batsman, going past Misbah-ul-Haq's 87* against Bangladesh in Karachi in 2008. Heaving the ball repeatedly over the leg-side boundary to become the first from his country to hit six sixes in a T20 innings, Shehzad added 143 for the second wicket with Mohammad Hafeez, making it the highest T20 partnership by a Pakistan pair. The previous best was 142 for the first wicket between Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt against Bangladesh at Gros Islet in the 2010 World Twenty20. Shehzad's innings was yet another example of how much damage top-order batsmen can cause in T20s, if they take a bit of time instead of throwing their bats at everything from the first ball. The first five that Shehzad played were all dots, from the offspinner Prosper Utseya. To the sixth, Shehzad charged out and lofted over long-on for six. This ability to come up with the big hit would define Shehzad's innings. More than a third of the 64 deliveries he faced were dots, and he was on 11 off 18 at one stage, but the heave over midwicket was always around the corner. After Brendan Taylor again decided to chase, it was Nasir Jamshed who got Pakistan going with 23 off 17. He was put down at slip on 7 but soon mishit Shingi Masakadza for mid-off to take a running catch in the sixth over. That was to be it for Zimbabwe for the innings. Barring a couple of leading edges off Hafeez that did not carry, they didn't really come close to taking another wicket. In Zimbabwe's defence, whenever Shehzad and Hafeez mishit the ball, it never came close to carrying to the deep fielders.And their fast bowlers never got the yorkers right, sending down length deliveries and full tosses instead, which Pakistan put away with ease. Shehzad favoured the leg side overwhelmingly, 73 of his 98 coming in that region, including 10 of his 12 boundaries. Considering most of them were full-blooded swings across the line, the timing and placement he managed on the shots was commendable. Shehzad needed just 22 deliveries after reaching his fifty to come within two runs of a century. Three of those were dots off Brian Vitori in the 16th over. The other three were swung for boundaries down the ground. He entered the last over on 86 and powered Vitori over long-on first ball. The hundred within sight, a determined but tiring Shehzad laboured back for successive twos next. He wanted two off the fourth ball as well, but Hafeez was in no mood for gifting a run-out chance to Zimbabwe. Sensitive to his opener's palpable desire, Hafeez pushed a single off the penultimate ball, but for once, Shehzad failed to pick a gap off the final one, trotting a single to deep midwicket. With Shehzad in such flow, Hafeez didn't have to do much more than turn the strike over for most of the partnership, before finding the boundary a few times at the death. The Pakistan captain would have a much larger role with the ball, after resting first-choice bowlers Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Irfan. Anwar Ali was taken for three fours in his first over, and Zimbabwe were keeping up with the asking-rate at 44 for 0 after the first five. Then came the spinners, and Zimbabwe, again, had no answers. Zulfiqar Babar began with a maiden, and Hafeez with a wicket-maiden, as Vusi Sibanda holed out after successive slow starts. In his next over, Hafeez had Taylor gloving an attempted reverse-sweep. Hamilton Masakadza fought to make 41, but Hafeez had him pulling to deep midwicket in the 14th. Babar's double-strike in the next over sent Zimbabwe plummeting further to 109 for 5. Elton Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller tried, but Shehzad had pulled so far in front that even an inexperienced attack wasn't really pushed. Abhishek Purohit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo Feeds: Abhishek Purohit © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Ahmed Shehzad established several records on way to plundering Zimbabwe for an unbeaten 98, which sealed a 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 series for Pakistan. Shehzad bettered his best T20 international innings of 70, achieved in the previous game, to make the highest score in the format by a Pakistan batsman, going past Misbah-ul-Haq's 87* against Bangladesh in Karachi in 2008. Heaving the ball repeatedly over the leg-side boundary to become the first from his country to hit six sixes in a T20 innings, Shehzad added 143 for the second wicket with Mohammad Hafeez, making it the highest T20 partnership by a Pakistan pair. The previous best was 142 for the first wicket between Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt against Bangladesh at Gros Islet in the 2010 World Twenty20. Shehzad's innings was yet another example of how much damage top-order batsmen can cause in T20s, if they take a bit of time instead of throwing their bats at everything from the first ball. The first five that Shehzad played were all dots, from the offspinner Prosper Utseya. To the sixth, Shehzad charged out and lofted over long-on for six. This ability to come up with the big hit would define Shehzad's innings. More than a third of the 64 deliveries he faced were dots, and he was on 11 off 18 at one stage, but the heave over midwicket was always around the corner. After Brendan Taylor again decided to chase, it was Nasir Jamshed who got Pakistan going with 23 off 17. He was put down at slip on 7 but soon mishit Shingi Masakadza for mid-off to take a running catch in the sixth over. That was to be it for Zimbabwe for the innings. Barring a couple of leading edges off Hafeez that did not carry, they didn't really come close to taking another wicket. In Zimbabwe's defence, whenever Shehzad and Hafeez mishit the ball, it never came close to carrying to the deep fielders.And their fast bowlers never got the yorkers right, sending down length deliveries and full tosses instead, which Pakistan put away with ease. Shehzad favoured the leg side overwhelmingly, 73 of his 98 coming in that region, including 10 of his 12 boundaries. Considering most of them were full-blooded swings across the line, the timing and placement he managed on the shots was commendable. Shehzad needed just 22 deliveries after reaching his fifty to come within two runs of a century. Three of those were dots off Brian Vitori in the 16th over. The other three were swung for boundaries down the ground. He entered the last over on 86 and powered Vitori over long-on first ball. The hundred within sight, a determined but tiring Shehzad laboured back for successive twos next. He wanted two off the fourth ball as well, but Hafeez was in no mood for gifting a run-out chance to Zimbabwe. Sensitive to his opener's palpable desire, Hafeez pushed a single off the penultimate ball, but for once, Shehzad failed to pick a gap off the final one, trotting a single to deep midwicket. With Shehzad in such flow, Hafeez didn't have to do much more than turn the strike over for most of the partnership, before finding the boundary a few times at the death. The Pakistan captain would have a much larger role with the ball, after resting first-choice bowlers Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Irfan. Anwar Ali was taken for three fours in his first over, and Zimbabwe were keeping up with the asking-rate at 44 for 0 after the first five. Then came the spinners, and Zimbabwe, again, had no answers. Zulfiqar Babar began with a maiden, and Hafeez with a wicket-maiden, as Vusi Sibanda holed out after successive slow starts. In his next over, Hafeez had Taylor gloving an attempted reverse-sweep. Hamilton Masakadza fought to make 41, but Hafeez had him pulling to deep midwicket in the 14th. Babar's double-strike in the next over sent Zimbabwe plummeting further to 109 for 5. Elton Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller tried, but Shehzad had pulled so far in front that even an inexperienced attack wasn't really pushed. Abhishek Purohit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Abhishek Purohit © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Shehzad's record 98* sets up 2-0 sweep
Pakistan 179 for 1 (Shehzad 98*, Hafeez 54*) beat Zimbabwe 160 for 6 (H Masakadza 41, Hafeez 3-30, Babar 2-21) by 19 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Ahmed Shehzad established several records on way to plundering Zimbabwe for an unbeaten 98, which sealed a 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 series for Pakistan. Shehzad bettered his best T20 international innings of 70, achieved in the previous game, to make the highest score in the format by a Pakistan batsman, going past Misbah-ul-Haq's 87* against Bangladesh in Karachi in 2008. Heaving the ball repeatedly over the leg-side boundary to become the first from his country to hit six sixes in a T20 innings, Shehzad added 143 for the second wicket with Mohammad Hafeez, making it the highest T20 partnership by a Pakistan pair. The previous best was 142 for the first wicket between Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt against Bangladesh at Gros Islet in the 2010 World Twenty20. Shehzad's innings was yet another example of how much damage top-order batsmen can cause in T20s, if they take a bit of time instead of throwing their bats at everything from the first ball. The first five that Shehzad played were all dots, from the offspinner Prosper Utseya. To the sixth, Shehzad charged out and lofted over long-on for six. This ability to come up with the big hit would define Shehzad's innings. More than a third of the 64 deliveries he faced were dots, and he was on 11 off 18 at one stage, but the heave over midwicket was always around the corner. After Brendan Taylor again decided to chase, it was Nasir Jamshed who got Pakistan going with 23 off 17. He was put down at slip on 7 but soon mishit Shingi Masakadza for mid-off to take a running catch in the sixth over. That was to be it for Zimbabwe for the innings. Barring a couple of leading edges off Hafeez that did not carry, they didn't really come close to taking another wicket. In Zimbabwe's defence, whenever Shehzad and Hafeez mishit the ball, it never came close to carrying to the deep fielders.And their fast bowlers never got the yorkers right, sending down length deliveries and full tosses instead, which Pakistan put away with ease. Shehzad favoured the leg side overwhelmingly, 73 of his 98 coming in that region, including 10 of his 12 boundaries. Considering most of them were full-blooded swings across the line, the timing and placement he managed on the shots was commendable. Shehzad needed just 22 deliveries after reaching his fifty to come within two runs of a century. Three of those were dots off Brian Vitori in the 16th over. The other three were swung for boundaries down the ground. He entered the last over on 86 and powered Vitori over long-on first ball. The hundred within sight, a determined but tiring Shehzad laboured back for successive twos next. He wanted two off the fourth ball as well, but Hafeez was in no mood for gifting a run-out chance to Zimbabwe. Sensitive to his opener's palpable desire, Hafeez pushed a single off the penultimate ball, but for once, Shehzad failed to pick a gap off the final one, trotting a single to deep midwicket. With Shehzad in such flow, Hafeez didn't have to do much more than turn the strike over for most of the partnership, before finding the boundary a few times at the death. The Pakistan captain would have a much larger role with the ball, after resting first-choice bowlers Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Irfan. Anwar Ali was taken for three fours in his first over, and Zimbabwe were keeping up with the asking-rate at 44 for 0 after the first five. Then came the spinners, and Zimbabwe, again, had no answers. Zulfiqar Babar began with a maiden, and Hafeez with a wicket-maiden, as Vusi Sibanda holed out after successive slow starts. In his next over, Hafeez had Taylor gloving an attempted reverse-sweep. Hamilton Masakadza fought to make 41, but Hafeez had him pulling to deep midwicket in the 14th. Babar's double-strike in the next over sent Zimbabwe plummeting further to 109 for 5. Elton Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller tried, but Shehzad had pulled so far in front that even an inexperienced attack wasn't really pushed. Abhishek Purohit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo Feeds: Abhishek Purohit © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Ahmed Shehzad established several records on way to plundering Zimbabwe for an unbeaten 98, which sealed a 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 series for Pakistan. Shehzad bettered his best T20 international innings of 70, achieved in the previous game, to make the highest score in the format by a Pakistan batsman, going past Misbah-ul-Haq's 87* against Bangladesh in Karachi in 2008. Heaving the ball repeatedly over the leg-side boundary to become the first from his country to hit six sixes in a T20 innings, Shehzad added 143 for the second wicket with Mohammad Hafeez, making it the highest T20 partnership by a Pakistan pair. The previous best was 142 for the first wicket between Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt against Bangladesh at Gros Islet in the 2010 World Twenty20. Shehzad's innings was yet another example of how much damage top-order batsmen can cause in T20s, if they take a bit of time instead of throwing their bats at everything from the first ball. The first five that Shehzad played were all dots, from the offspinner Prosper Utseya. To the sixth, Shehzad charged out and lofted over long-on for six. This ability to come up with the big hit would define Shehzad's innings. More than a third of the 64 deliveries he faced were dots, and he was on 11 off 18 at one stage, but the heave over midwicket was always around the corner. After Brendan Taylor again decided to chase, it was Nasir Jamshed who got Pakistan going with 23 off 17. He was put down at slip on 7 but soon mishit Shingi Masakadza for mid-off to take a running catch in the sixth over. That was to be it for Zimbabwe for the innings. Barring a couple of leading edges off Hafeez that did not carry, they didn't really come close to taking another wicket. In Zimbabwe's defence, whenever Shehzad and Hafeez mishit the ball, it never came close to carrying to the deep fielders.And their fast bowlers never got the yorkers right, sending down length deliveries and full tosses instead, which Pakistan put away with ease. Shehzad favoured the leg side overwhelmingly, 73 of his 98 coming in that region, including 10 of his 12 boundaries. Considering most of them were full-blooded swings across the line, the timing and placement he managed on the shots was commendable. Shehzad needed just 22 deliveries after reaching his fifty to come within two runs of a century. Three of those were dots off Brian Vitori in the 16th over. The other three were swung for boundaries down the ground. He entered the last over on 86 and powered Vitori over long-on first ball. The hundred within sight, a determined but tiring Shehzad laboured back for successive twos next. He wanted two off the fourth ball as well, but Hafeez was in no mood for gifting a run-out chance to Zimbabwe. Sensitive to his opener's palpable desire, Hafeez pushed a single off the penultimate ball, but for once, Shehzad failed to pick a gap off the final one, trotting a single to deep midwicket. With Shehzad in such flow, Hafeez didn't have to do much more than turn the strike over for most of the partnership, before finding the boundary a few times at the death. The Pakistan captain would have a much larger role with the ball, after resting first-choice bowlers Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Irfan. Anwar Ali was taken for three fours in his first over, and Zimbabwe were keeping up with the asking-rate at 44 for 0 after the first five. Then came the spinners, and Zimbabwe, again, had no answers. Zulfiqar Babar began with a maiden, and Hafeez with a wicket-maiden, as Vusi Sibanda holed out after successive slow starts. In his next over, Hafeez had Taylor gloving an attempted reverse-sweep. Hamilton Masakadza fought to make 41, but Hafeez had him pulling to deep midwicket in the 14th. Babar's double-strike in the next over sent Zimbabwe plummeting further to 109 for 5. Elton Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller tried, but Shehzad had pulled so far in front that even an inexperienced attack wasn't really pushed. Abhishek Purohit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Abhishek Purohit © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Shehzad's record 98* sets up 2-0 sweep
Pakistan 179 for 1 (Shehzad 98*, Hafeez 54*) beat Zimbabwe 160 for 6 (H Masakadza 41, Hafeez 3-30, Babar 2-21) by 19 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Ahmed Shehzad established several records on way to plundering Zimbabwe for an unbeaten 98, which sealed a 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 series for Pakistan. Shehzad bettered his best T20 international innings of 70, achieved in the previous game, to make the highest score in the format by a Pakistan batsman, going past Misbah-ul-Haq's 87* against Bangladesh in Karachi in 2008. Heaving the ball repeatedly over the leg-side boundary to become the first from his country to hit six sixes in a T20 innings, Shehzad added 143 for the second wicket with Mohammad Hafeez, making it the highest T20 partnership by a Pakistan pair. The previous best was 142 for the first wicket between Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt against Bangladesh at Gros Islet in the 2010 World Twenty20. Shehzad's innings was yet another example of how much damage top-order batsmen can cause in T20s, if they take a bit of time instead of throwing their bats at everything from the first ball. The first five that Shehzad played were all dots, from the offspinner Prosper Utseya. To the sixth, Shehzad charged out and lofted over long-on for six. This ability to come up with the big hit would define Shehzad's innings. More than a third of the 64 deliveries he faced were dots, and he was on 11 off 18 at one stage, but the heave over midwicket was always around the corner. After Brendan Taylor again decided to chase, it was Nasir Jamshed who got Pakistan going with 23 off 17. He was put down at slip on 7 but soon mishit Shingi Masakadza for mid-off to take a running catch in the sixth over. That was to be it for Zimbabwe for the innings. Barring a couple of leading edges off Hafeez that did not carry, they didn't really come close to taking another wicket. In Zimbabwe's defence, whenever Shehzad and Hafeez mishit the ball, it never came close to carrying to the deep fielders.And their fast bowlers never got the yorkers right, sending down length deliveries and full tosses instead, which Pakistan put away with ease. Shehzad favoured the leg side overwhelmingly, 73 of his 98 coming in that region, including 10 of his 12 boundaries. Considering most of them were full-blooded swings across the line, the timing and placement he managed on the shots was commendable. Shehzad needed just 22 deliveries after reaching his fifty to come within two runs of a century. Three of those were dots off Brian Vitori in the 16th over. The other three were swung for boundaries down the ground. He entered the last over on 86 and powered Vitori over long-on first ball. The hundred within sight, a determined but tiring Shehzad laboured back for successive twos next. He wanted two off the fourth ball as well, but Hafeez was in no mood for gifting a run-out chance to Zimbabwe. Sensitive to his opener's palpable desire, Hafeez pushed a single off the penultimate ball, but for once, Shehzad failed to pick a gap off the final one, trotting a single to deep midwicket. With Shehzad in such flow, Hafeez didn't have to do much more than turn the strike over for most of the partnership, before finding the boundary a few times at the death. The Pakistan captain would have a much larger role with the ball, after resting first-choice bowlers Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Irfan. Anwar Ali was taken for three fours in his first over, and Zimbabwe were keeping up with the asking-rate at 44 for 0 after the first five. Then came the spinners, and Zimbabwe, again, had no answers. Zulfiqar Babar began with a maiden, and Hafeez with a wicket-maiden, as Vusi Sibanda holed out after successive slow starts. In his next over, Hafeez had Taylor gloving an attempted reverse-sweep. Hamilton Masakadza fought to make 41, but Hafeez had him pulling to deep midwicket in the 14th. Babar's double-strike in the next over sent Zimbabwe plummeting further to 109 for 5. Elton Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller tried, but Shehzad had pulled so far in front that even an inexperienced attack wasn't really pushed. Abhishek Purohit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo Feeds: Abhishek Purohit © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Ahmed Shehzad established several records on way to plundering Zimbabwe for an unbeaten 98, which sealed a 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 series for Pakistan. Shehzad bettered his best T20 international innings of 70, achieved in the previous game, to make the highest score in the format by a Pakistan batsman, going past Misbah-ul-Haq's 87* against Bangladesh in Karachi in 2008. Heaving the ball repeatedly over the leg-side boundary to become the first from his country to hit six sixes in a T20 innings, Shehzad added 143 for the second wicket with Mohammad Hafeez, making it the highest T20 partnership by a Pakistan pair. The previous best was 142 for the first wicket between Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt against Bangladesh at Gros Islet in the 2010 World Twenty20. Shehzad's innings was yet another example of how much damage top-order batsmen can cause in T20s, if they take a bit of time instead of throwing their bats at everything from the first ball. The first five that Shehzad played were all dots, from the offspinner Prosper Utseya. To the sixth, Shehzad charged out and lofted over long-on for six. This ability to come up with the big hit would define Shehzad's innings. More than a third of the 64 deliveries he faced were dots, and he was on 11 off 18 at one stage, but the heave over midwicket was always around the corner. After Brendan Taylor again decided to chase, it was Nasir Jamshed who got Pakistan going with 23 off 17. He was put down at slip on 7 but soon mishit Shingi Masakadza for mid-off to take a running catch in the sixth over. That was to be it for Zimbabwe for the innings. Barring a couple of leading edges off Hafeez that did not carry, they didn't really come close to taking another wicket. In Zimbabwe's defence, whenever Shehzad and Hafeez mishit the ball, it never came close to carrying to the deep fielders.And their fast bowlers never got the yorkers right, sending down length deliveries and full tosses instead, which Pakistan put away with ease. Shehzad favoured the leg side overwhelmingly, 73 of his 98 coming in that region, including 10 of his 12 boundaries. Considering most of them were full-blooded swings across the line, the timing and placement he managed on the shots was commendable. Shehzad needed just 22 deliveries after reaching his fifty to come within two runs of a century. Three of those were dots off Brian Vitori in the 16th over. The other three were swung for boundaries down the ground. He entered the last over on 86 and powered Vitori over long-on first ball. The hundred within sight, a determined but tiring Shehzad laboured back for successive twos next. He wanted two off the fourth ball as well, but Hafeez was in no mood for gifting a run-out chance to Zimbabwe. Sensitive to his opener's palpable desire, Hafeez pushed a single off the penultimate ball, but for once, Shehzad failed to pick a gap off the final one, trotting a single to deep midwicket. With Shehzad in such flow, Hafeez didn't have to do much more than turn the strike over for most of the partnership, before finding the boundary a few times at the death. The Pakistan captain would have a much larger role with the ball, after resting first-choice bowlers Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Irfan. Anwar Ali was taken for three fours in his first over, and Zimbabwe were keeping up with the asking-rate at 44 for 0 after the first five. Then came the spinners, and Zimbabwe, again, had no answers. Zulfiqar Babar began with a maiden, and Hafeez with a wicket-maiden, as Vusi Sibanda holed out after successive slow starts. In his next over, Hafeez had Taylor gloving an attempted reverse-sweep. Hamilton Masakadza fought to make 41, but Hafeez had him pulling to deep midwicket in the 14th. Babar's double-strike in the next over sent Zimbabwe plummeting further to 109 for 5. Elton Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller tried, but Shehzad had pulled so far in front that even an inexperienced attack wasn't really pushed. Abhishek Purohit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Abhishek Purohit © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Monday, 26 August 2013
Shehzad's record 98* sets up 2-0 sweep
Pakistan 179 for 1 (Shehzad 98*, Hafeez 54*) beat Zimbabwe 160 for 6 (H Masakadza 41, Hafeez 3-30, Babar 2-21) by 19 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Ahmed Shehzad established several records on way to plundering Zimbabwe for an unbeaten 98, which sealed a 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 series for Pakistan. Shehzad bettered his best T20 international innings of 70, achieved in the previous game, to make the highest score in the format by a Pakistan batsman, going past Misbah-ul-Haq's 87* against Bangladesh in Karachi in 2008. Heaving the ball repeatedly over the leg-side boundary to become the first from his country to hit six sixes in a T20 innings, Shehzad added 143 for the second wicket with Mohammad Hafeez, making it the highest T20 partnership by a Pakistan pair. The previous best was 142 for the first wicket between Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt against Bangladesh at Gros Islet in the 2010 World Twenty20. Shehzad's innings was yet another example of how much damage top-order batsmen can cause in T20s, if they take a bit of time instead of throwing their bats at everything from the first ball. The first five that Shehzad played were all dots, from the offspinner Prosper Utseya. To the sixth, Shehzad charged out and lofted over long-on for six. This ability to come up with the big hit would define Shehzad's innings. More than a third of the 64 deliveries he faced were dots, and he was on 11 off 18 at one stage, but the heave over midwicket was always around the corner. After Brendan Taylor again decided to chase, it was Nasir Jamshed who got Pakistan going with 23 off 17. He was put down at slip on 7 but soon mishit Shingi Masakadza for mid-off to take a running catch in the sixth over. That was to be it for Zimbabwe for the innings. Barring a couple of leading edges off Hafeez that did not carry, they didn't really come close to taking another wicket. In Zimbabwe's defence, whenever Shehzad and Hafeez mishit the ball, it never came close to carrying to the deep fielders.And their fast bowlers never got the yorkers right, sending down length deliveries and full tosses instead, which Pakistan put away with ease. Shehzad favoured the leg side overwhelmingly, 73 of his 98 coming in that region, including 10 of his 12 boundaries. Considering most of them were full-blooded swings across the line, the timing and placement he managed on the shots was commendable. Shehzad needed just 22 deliveries after reaching his fifty to come within two runs of a century. Three of those were dots off Brian Vitori in the 16th over. The other three were swung for boundaries down the ground. He entered the last over on 86 and powered Vitori over long-on first ball. The hundred within sight, a determined but tiring Shehzad laboured back for successive twos next. He wanted two off the fourth ball as well, but Hafeez was in no mood for gifting a run-out chance to Zimbabwe. Sensitive to his opener's palpable desire, Hafeez pushed a single off the penultimate ball, but for once, Shehzad failed to pick a gap off the final one, trotting a single to deep midwicket. With Shehzad in such flow, Hafeez didn't have to do much more than turn the strike over for most of the partnership, before finding the boundary a few times at the death. The Pakistan captain would have a much larger role with the ball, after resting first-choice bowlers Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Irfan. Anwar Ali was taken for three fours in his first over, and Zimbabwe were keeping up with the asking-rate at 44 for 0 after the first five. Then came the spinners, and Zimbabwe, again, had no answers. Zulfiqar Babar began with a maiden, and Hafeez with a wicket-maiden, as Vusi Sibanda holed out after successive slow starts. In his next over, Hafeez had Taylor gloving an attempted reverse-sweep. Hamilton Masakadza fought to make 41, but Hafeez had him pulling to deep midwicket in the 14th. Babar's double-strike in the next over sent Zimbabwe plummeting further to 109 for 5. Elton Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller tried, but Shehzad had pulled so far in front that even an inexperienced attack wasn't really pushed. Abhishek Purohit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo Feeds: Abhishek Purohit © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Ahmed Shehzad established several records on way to plundering Zimbabwe for an unbeaten 98, which sealed a 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 series for Pakistan. Shehzad bettered his best T20 international innings of 70, achieved in the previous game, to make the highest score in the format by a Pakistan batsman, going past Misbah-ul-Haq's 87* against Bangladesh in Karachi in 2008. Heaving the ball repeatedly over the leg-side boundary to become the first from his country to hit six sixes in a T20 innings, Shehzad added 143 for the second wicket with Mohammad Hafeez, making it the highest T20 partnership by a Pakistan pair. The previous best was 142 for the first wicket between Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt against Bangladesh at Gros Islet in the 2010 World Twenty20. Shehzad's innings was yet another example of how much damage top-order batsmen can cause in T20s, if they take a bit of time instead of throwing their bats at everything from the first ball. The first five that Shehzad played were all dots, from the offspinner Prosper Utseya. To the sixth, Shehzad charged out and lofted over long-on for six. This ability to come up with the big hit would define Shehzad's innings. More than a third of the 64 deliveries he faced were dots, and he was on 11 off 18 at one stage, but the heave over midwicket was always around the corner. After Brendan Taylor again decided to chase, it was Nasir Jamshed who got Pakistan going with 23 off 17. He was put down at slip on 7 but soon mishit Shingi Masakadza for mid-off to take a running catch in the sixth over. That was to be it for Zimbabwe for the innings. Barring a couple of leading edges off Hafeez that did not carry, they didn't really come close to taking another wicket. In Zimbabwe's defence, whenever Shehzad and Hafeez mishit the ball, it never came close to carrying to the deep fielders.And their fast bowlers never got the yorkers right, sending down length deliveries and full tosses instead, which Pakistan put away with ease. Shehzad favoured the leg side overwhelmingly, 73 of his 98 coming in that region, including 10 of his 12 boundaries. Considering most of them were full-blooded swings across the line, the timing and placement he managed on the shots was commendable. Shehzad needed just 22 deliveries after reaching his fifty to come within two runs of a century. Three of those were dots off Brian Vitori in the 16th over. The other three were swung for boundaries down the ground. He entered the last over on 86 and powered Vitori over long-on first ball. The hundred within sight, a determined but tiring Shehzad laboured back for successive twos next. He wanted two off the fourth ball as well, but Hafeez was in no mood for gifting a run-out chance to Zimbabwe. Sensitive to his opener's palpable desire, Hafeez pushed a single off the penultimate ball, but for once, Shehzad failed to pick a gap off the final one, trotting a single to deep midwicket. With Shehzad in such flow, Hafeez didn't have to do much more than turn the strike over for most of the partnership, before finding the boundary a few times at the death. The Pakistan captain would have a much larger role with the ball, after resting first-choice bowlers Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Irfan. Anwar Ali was taken for three fours in his first over, and Zimbabwe were keeping up with the asking-rate at 44 for 0 after the first five. Then came the spinners, and Zimbabwe, again, had no answers. Zulfiqar Babar began with a maiden, and Hafeez with a wicket-maiden, as Vusi Sibanda holed out after successive slow starts. In his next over, Hafeez had Taylor gloving an attempted reverse-sweep. Hamilton Masakadza fought to make 41, but Hafeez had him pulling to deep midwicket in the 14th. Babar's double-strike in the next over sent Zimbabwe plummeting further to 109 for 5. Elton Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller tried, but Shehzad had pulled so far in front that even an inexperienced attack wasn't really pushed. Abhishek Purohit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Abhishek Purohit © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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