06 September 2004	Monday	20 Rajab 1425

LONDON, Sept 5: Australia made it three One-day International wins in as many games against Pakistan at Lord's but the world champions were pushed all the way in a thrilling encounter on Saturday (partly reported in Sunday's edition).

A Pakistan fifth-wicket record stand of 162 between captain Inzamamul Haq (72) and Yousuf Youhana (88) rescued the team from the depths of 66 for four and turned what had been an Australian stroll into an exciting match.

Pakistan, chasing 270, finished on 259 all out in what was a one-off, warm-up match for the ICC Champions Trophy which gets underway in England on Friday. Australia's total of 269 was built on a superb 104 not out from Andrew Symonds while fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz pegged Pakistan back in the field with five for 47.

In 1999, Australia beat Pakistan at Lord's by eight wickets to win the World Cup final and two years later they won by nine-wickets in the triangular series final. A hat trick of wins looked all but certain when opener Yasir Hameed fell for an elegant 47.

However, Inzamam and Youhana wrested back the initiative with the skipper striking a leg-side pick up four off Kasprowicz after Youhana had cleverly late cut Shane Watson. Brett Lee returned in a bid to break the stand but Youhana hooked Australia's quickest bowler for six and then late cut him for four, the comeback over costing 13 runs in total.

Pakistan entered the final 10 overs needing 77 to win, with batting to come. Youhana launched off-spinner Symonds for six into the Pavilion. But two balls later Symonds had Inzamam caught at extra cover by Watson to end an 85-ball innings with five boundaries.

That left Pakistan needing 40 runs off five overs but when Youhana holed out to Watson at mid-off against Kasprowicz, having faced 98 balls with two sixes and three fours, the game was almost done.

Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 31 runs in 22 balls. One ball after he'd been hit for six by Sami, Kasprowicz clean bowled him for 10 to end he match with 10 balls remaining. Shoaib Akhtar was two not out.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA:

M.L. Hayden b Shahid Afridi 52

B.J. Haddin c S. Malik b Sami 13

R.T. Ponting lbw b Sami 4

D.R. Martyn c Imran b S. Malik 26

A. Symonds not out 104

D.S. Lehmann run out 9

M.J. Clarke c S. Malik b S. Akhtar 31

S.R. Watson not out 7

EXTRAS (LB-9, W-12, NB-2) 23

TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 269

FALL OF WKTS: 1-19, 2-30, 3-99, 4-109, 5-148, 6-236.

DID NOT BAT: B. Lee, J.N. Gillespie, M.S. Kasprowicz. BOWLING: Mohammad Sami 10-1-56-2 (1w); Rana Naveedul Hasan 9-0-46-0 (2nb, 2w); Shoaib Akhtar 8-0-70-1 (1w); Abdul Razzaq 4-0-12-0 (1w); Shoaib Malik 10-0-36-1 (2w); Shahid Afridi 9-0-40-1 (1w).

PAKISTAN:

Yasir Hameed c Hayden b K'wicz 47

Imran Farhat c Haddin b Lee 11

Shahid Afridi lbw b Gillespie 0

Shoaib Malik c Lee b K'wicz 2

Inzamamul Haq c Watson b Symonds 72

Yousuf Youhana c Watson b K'wicz 88

Abdul Razzaq c and b K'wicz 15

Moin Khan c Martyn b Gillespie 0

Rana Naveedul Hasan run out 2

Mohammad Sami b K'wicz 10

Shoaib Akhtar not out 2

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-2, NB-4) 10

TOTAL (all out, 48.2 overs) 259

FALL OF WKTS: 1-30, 2-45, 3-50, 4-66, 5-228, 6-239, 7-245, 8-247, 9-250.

BOWLING: Gillespie 8-2-26-2 (2w); Lee 10-0-67-1 (4nb); Kasprowicz 9.2-1-47-5; Lehmann 5-0-24-0; Symonds 5-0-31-1; Watson 9-0-47-0; Clarke 2-0-13-0.

RESULT: Australia won by 10 runs.

UMPIRES: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies) and D.R. Shepherd (England).

TV UMPIRE: J.W. Lloyds (England).

MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Andrew Symonds. -Agencies