June 22, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 06, 1428

ISLAMABAD, June 21: Iran defeated Pakistan in an important match of the second Asian Central Zone Volleyball Championship at the Liaquat Gymnasium, Pakistan Sports Complex on Thursday.

The Iranian spikers played well to register a 25-22, 27-25 and 29-27 victory against the hosts in 95 minutes.

Pakistan took an early lead by scoring two consecutive points in the first set but Iran retaliated strongly to score three points.

Pakistan took advantage of some soft spikes of the Iranians and through counter attack the hosts kept on scoring points until the first technical timeout when they were leading 8-6 before enhancing the lead further to 10-7.

Then, the Iranians made quick combination moves in spiking while changing blocking tactics to score five points to level the score 12-12.

Then there was a seesaw battle and the score was again levelled at 15-15. Pakistan recorded a further five points to lead 20-17.

Their 18th point was the turning point for the Iranians who scored five points to go ahead 23-21 and then added other point to powerful spike by captain Zare Mehrjerdy.

Pakistan saved a set point at this stage through Naseer Ahmed to add another point and the team’s score at this stage was 22 against 24. The last point of the first set was scored through very effective counter attack by Iran’s quack attacker to take the first set.

Both teams tried hard to gain superiority earlier in the second set. At the first technical time out Iran led 11-9. Pakistan fought back well to level the score 11-11 and then 13-13 and after several fluctuations it was 24-24 as both teams tried their best to take the set. However, Iran were lucky to the take advantage of two unforced errors made by Pakistan team to clinch the set 27-25.

After losing two sets Pakistan never gave up and launched a renewed fight-back to take lead in the early part of the third set before the score was 8-8 during the first technical timeout.

The contestants kept on scoring cluster of points till the score was locked 21-21. Iran then got three quick points to reach at the match point. Whereas Pakistan spikers Naseer Ahmed, Ismail Khan, Kashif Mansoor were determined to level the score which they achieved and saved three match points to make the score levelled thrice – at 25-25, 26-26, and 27-27.

Right at this stage a great mistake committed by the hosts gave Iran the bonus point which was the winning point as well.

Meanwhile, the high-ranked Indian team, who had to face defeat in their opening match against Iran, blanked Sri Lanka 3-0 with set scores of 25-16, 25-17 and 25-20.

In another match between Turkmenistan and the Maldives the former recorded a consolation victory after two consecutive losses in the first two days – against Kazakhstan and Pakistan – 3-0 with set scores of 25-18, 25-22 and 26-24.

Friday’s fixtures: Maldives v Sri Lanka (10:00am); Iran v Turkmenistan (3:00pm); Kazakhstan v India (5:00pm). —Agencies