September 09, 2007	Sunday	Sha'aban 26, 1428

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 8: An outstanding spell from Umar Gul, taking 3 for 11 off four overs, spurred Pakistan to a 54-run win against Zimbabwe in their first warm-up match of the ICC World Twenty20 at Centurion on Saturday.

Shahid Afridi also scalped 3 for 17 as Zimbabwe were restricted to 127 for 8 in 20 overs, chasing Pakistan’s 181.

A smattering of spectators watched a tepid warm-up match as Umar rocked Zimbabwe’s chase by dismissing Vusi Sibanda and Chamu Chibhabha off successive deliveries with the score on 16.

Hamilton Masakadza, who scored 41 off 37 balls, and Tatenda Taibu helped Zimbabwe recover by adding 76 off 10.5 overs but the slide began once Afridi dismissed Taibu. Zimbabwe went on to lose six wickets for 35 runs and their chase went off the rails.

Pakistan had also got off to a poor start, losing their first three wickets for 61 before skipper Shoaib Malik ran amok, scoring 64 off 37 balls. He hit four sixes and three fours and added 50 for the fourth wicket with Younis Khan.

Shoaib dominated the innings towards the final overs and remained unbeaten as Pakistan stacked up 181 for 6.

Saturday’s game might have been played in a low-key atmosphere but Centurion was expected to be sold out for Sunday’s warm-up match between hosts South Africa and favourites Australia.

Meanwhile, a whirlwind 63 off 30 balls from Marlon Samuels led West Indies to a comfortable six-wicket victory against Kenya at Benoni.

Chasing 156, Shivnarine Chanderpaul remained unbeaten on 46 off 33 balls as West Indies reached the target with 2.3 overs to spare.

Samuels smashed three fours and six sixes during a 105-run stand for the third wicket with Chanderpaul after they had lost their first two wickets with the score on 38.

Kenya’s new-ball bowlers bowled tight spells, Peter Ongondo took 2 for 21 off his fours overs while Thomas Odoyo took 1 for 19 off 3.3 overs. The support bowlers, however, got hit for plenty. Rajesh Bhudia went for 42 in four overs and Steve Tikolo conceded as many in two. Earlier, the West Indian bowlers had backed up Ramnaresh Sarwan’s decision to field by restricting Kenya to 155 for 5 in 20 overs. Kenya had lost David Obuya early but were on course for a sizable total after Maurice Ouma and Tanmay Mishra, who top-scored with 43, took them to 70 after 9.3 overs with eight wickets in hand. Fidel Edwards, although wicketless, conceded just 21 off his four overs and didn’t allow the Kenyans to accelerate.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:

Salman Butt c and Chibhabha 16

Imran Nazir c Mupariwa b Chigumbura 9

Kamran Akmal b Brent 4

Younis Khan c Masakadza b Mupariwa 37

Shoaib Malik not out 64

Misbah-ul-Haq c Brent b Chigumbura 22

Shahid Afridi c Chibhabha b Chigumbura 4

Fawad Alam not out 9

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-11) 16

TOTAL (for six wkts, 20 overs) 181

FALL OF WKTS: 1-22, 2-28, 3-61, 4-111, 5-152, 6-156.

DID NOT BAT: Yasir Arafat, Rao Iftikhar, Abdul Rehman, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif.

BOWLING: Chigumbura 3-0-24-3 (1w); Brent 4-0-41-1 (1w); Mupariwa 3-0-24-1 (4w); Chibhabha 3-0-27-1; Utseya 4-0-34-0; Dabengwa 2-0-19-0; Masakadza 1-0-7-0.

ZIMBABWE:

V. Sibanda b Umar Gul 11

H. Masakadza b Fawad 41

C.J. Chibhabha b Umar Gul 0

T. Taibu c Younis b Afridi 34

B.R.M. Taylor b Fawad 3

E. Chigumbura b Afridi 7

S. Matsikenyeri c Misbah b Umar Gul 7

K.M. Dabengwa c Kamran b Afridi 0

P. Utseya not out 7

G.B. Brent not out 2

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-7, W-4) 15

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs) 127

FALL OF WKTS: 1-16, 2-16, 3-92, 4-94, 5-103, 6-105, 7-107, 8-119.

DID NOT BAT: T. Mupariwa, J. Marumisa, T. Maruma, C.B. Mpofu.

BOWLING: Umar Gul 4-1-11-3; Rao Iftikhar 4-0-38-0; Yasir Arafat 4-0-23-0 (4w); Fawad Alam 4-0-27-2; Shahid Afridi 4-0-17-3.

RESULT: Pakistan won by 54 runs.

UMPIRES: S.J. Davis (Australia) and B.R. Doctrove (West Indies).

NOTE: 14 players per side (11 bat, 11 field).

Summarised scores of West Indies v Kenya match:

KENYA 155-5 in 20 overs (T. Mishra 43, T.M. Odoyo 33, M.A. Ouma 32, S.O. Tikolo 20; D.R. Smith 2-32); WEST INDIES 156-4 in 17.3 overs (M.N. Samuels 63, S. Chanderpaul 46 not out, D.S. Smith 28; P.J. Ongondo 2-21).—Agencies