< >

Kamran Akmal Ton Sets Up Pakistan Consolation Win

Sunday 3 May 2009

©REUTERS/Karl Jeffs (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Pakistan 254-3 (Kamran Akmal 116no, Misbah-ul-Haq 76no) beat

Australia 250-4 (Watson 116no, Ferguson 41no) by seven wickets

Fifth One Day International, Abu Dhabi

Australia's Shane Watson and Pakistan's Kamran Akmal both scored 116 not out but it was Pakistan who won the fifth One Day International by seven wickets with three wickets to spare in Abu Dhabi.

Watson scored his second One Day International century, carrying his bat as Australia reached 250 for four but Akmal, aided by an unbeaten 76 from Misbah-ul-Haq, ensured that Pakistan reached 254 for three in 47 overs.

Having sealed the series two days ago, Australia were in no mood to release any pressure on the Pakistani, Watson, in the side as a batsman only following a back injury, scored 116 in 146 balls, with six fours and two fours after Australia won the toss and chose to bat first.

He added 58 with Brad Haddin (36) for the first wicket before Shoaib Akhtar struck to have the wicket-keeper well caught by captain Younus Khan at mid off and six overs later, Marcus North was dismissed for five, stumped trying to charge off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.

Watson then added 57 with in-form captain Michael Clarke for the third wicket. Their stand was ended when Umar Gul induced Clarke to edge to Kamran Akmal behind the stumps. Andrew Symonds made a swift 15 before he was bowled by Shoaib Malik.

Callum Ferguson then helped Watson take advantage of the batting Power Play by making 41 in 42 balls.

Pakistan's innings got off to a terrible start when Salman Butt was run out without facing, his new opening partnership with Ahmed Shehzad still taking time to settle in, Ben Laughlin the man pulling off a fine piece of fielding.

Shehzad (19) then added 44 with Younus (27) before both were dismissed by off-spinner Nathan Hauritz as Pakistan fell to 56 for two in the 16th over. Younus failed to clear Doug Bollinger at long on before Shehzad was trapped in front.

Akmal, promoted to number four in the order, began to revive the innings along with Misbah and the pair would turn their unbroken fourth-wicket partnership into a match-winning one that was worth 198 runs.

Akmal faced 115 balls in all, hitting 13 fours while Misbah faced 81, hitting ten fours as Pakistan finished the series strongly, going down 3-2 in the end and setting the one-off Twenty20 International in Dubai on Thursday nicely.