17 January 2005	Monday	06 Zilhaj 1425

MELBOURNE, Jan 16: Michael Clarke hit a superb 97 before Darren Lehmann's 49 not out guided Australia to a four-wicket win in their triangular one-day series match against Pakistan on Sunday.

Earlier, Shahid Afridi smashed 56 not out from 26 balls to lift Pakistan to 272 for seven in 50 overs, after good knocks from captain Inzamamul Haq (68) and opener Salman Butt (61).

Following a mid-innings rain delay of just over half an hour, Australia's victory target was revised to 253 in 45 overs. Twice World Cup winner Lehmann hit the winning runs with two overs to spare at Bellerive Oval in Hobart as the home side reached 253 for six in 43 overs.

Australia had appeared in some trouble at 186 for five in the 33rd over but Lehmann combined with wicket-keeper Brad Haddin (30) for a steadying 57-run partnership. Pakistan began poorly with Kamran Akmal falling to Glenn McGrath for five and Mohammed Hafeez out to the express pace of Brett Lee for a duck.

Shoaib Malik (31) and Butt added 53 for the third wicket before Malik was lbw to Andrew Symonds. Butt struck eight boundaries but the left-hander mis-timed an attempted cut off left-arm spinner Brad Hogg to be caught at backward point.

Yousuf Youhana fell to Michael Kasprowicz's bowling for 30 after putting on 74 runs with Inzamam. Kasprowicz followed up by trapping Inzamam lbw at 204 for six in the 44th over. However, the 24-year-old Afridi helped Pakistan plunder 62 runs from their last five overs.

Afridi, who holds the world record for the fastest one-day international century with a 37-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 1996, stunned Lee with a square drive for six in the 46th over.

The right-hander, who has three one-day international centuries to his credit, then struck McGrath (2-54) for consecutive sixes over cover and mid-wicket in the next over.

Afridi, who also hit four fours, recorded his fourth six when he clubbed Lee (1-66) over cover in the final in front of a roaring crowd of 15,503. In reply, Australia's makeshift opening combination of Clarke and Simon Katich (38) added 107 after replacing Matthew Hayden and injured wicket keeper/batsman Adam Gilchrist who were rested for the match.

Spinner Afridi then removed Australia captain Ricky Ponting for six in the 20th over. Following a rain delay of just over half an hour, Australia continued their middle-order slump, losing their first five wickets for 79 runs as they slipped to 186 for five.

Seamer Razzaq bowled Damien Martyn (11) and Symonds (nought). Clarke, who hit 12 fours and a six in 96 balls, was the fourth wicket to fall when he holed out to long-on three runs short of his second one-day international century.

Australia beat West Indies by 116 runs in the opening match of the series in Melbourne on Jan 14. West Indies will play Pakistan in game three in Brisbane on Wednesday.

SCOREBOARD



PAKISTAN



Salman Butt c Lehmann b Hogg               61



Kamran Akmal c Clarke b McGrath            5



Mohammad Hafeez c Hogg b Lee               0



Shoaib Malik lbw b Symonds                 31



Inzamamul Haq lbw b Kasprowicz             68



Yousuf Youhana c Martyn b Kasprowicz       30



Abdul Razzaq c Clarke b McGrath            12



Shahid Afridi not out                      56



Azhar Mahmood not out                      3



Extras (1b, 4w, 1nb)                       6



Total (7wkts, 50 overs)                    272



Fall of wkts: 1-15, 2-30, 3-83, 4-117, 5-191, 6-2-4, 7-251.



Bowling: G. McGrath 10-2-54-2, B. Lee 10-0-66-1(1nb, 2w), 
M. Kasprowicz 9-0-38-2, A. Symonds 9-0-55-1(2w), 
B. Hogg 7-0-28-1, D. Lehmann 5-0-30-0.



Did Not Bat: Shoaib Akhtar, Naved-ul-Hasan.



AUSTRALIA



M. Clarke c Naved b Mohammad Hafeez        97



S. Katich b Azhar Mahmood                  38



R. Ponting c K. Akmal b Shahid Afridi      6



D. Martyn b Abdul Razzaq                   11



D. Lehmann not out                         49



A. Symonds b Abdul Razzaq                  0



B. Haddin c M. Hafeez b Naved-ul-Hasan     30



B. Hogg not out                            3



Extras: (5lb, 6w, 8nb)                     19



Total: (6 wkts, 43 overs)                  253



Fall of wkts: 1-107, 2-118, 3-141, 4-184, 5-186, 6-243.



Bowling: Shoaib Akhtar 8-0-54-0(2nb,4w), Naved-ul-Hasan 8-0-60-1(1nb), 
Azhar Mahmood 6-0-33-1(1w), Shahid Afridi 9-0-43-1, 
Mohammad Hafeez 4-0-17-1, Abdul Razzaq 8-0-41-2 (5nb).



Did Not Bat: B. Lee, G. McGrath, M. Kasprowicz 



Man-of-the-Match: M. Clarke



Umpires: Daryl Harper (AUS), Billy Bowden (NZL). -Agencies