LAHORE: Devastating bowling by left-arm pacer Zia-ul-Haq and big knocks by opener Babar Azam and captain Fawad Alam helped Pakistan ‘A’ register an emphatic 214-run victory over Kenya at Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.

With the victory, Pakistan ‘A’ take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Chasing a target of 266, visitors batting line-up fell like a house of cards for just 51 runs in 22 overs, with Zia-ul-Haq finishing with five for nine runs in five overs to also get Man-of-the-Match award.

Zia was playing his first match of the series in place of Mohammad Talha as the Pakistan ‘A’ management made four changes to the team, also including Iftikhar Ahmed, Zafar Gohar and Shahzad Azam in place of Imran Khan, Raza Hasan and Sharjeel Khan.

The left-arm pacer removed five out of six top-order batsmen. In the late order, off-spinner Shahzaib Ahmed spun out three batsmen for 11 runs as Kenya failed to give any resistance.

Only captain Shem Ngoche (11) and tail-ender Lucas Oluoch (18) could reach the double figures.

Earlier, Pakistan ‘A’, who were asked to bat first, set a daunting total for Kenya to chase, thanks to another fine batting display by Babar and Fawad.

Babar, who struck speedy 64 in the last match, remained unlucky this time too as he was out just three runs short of his century as wicket-keeper Morris Ouma took a fine catch off Nehemiah Odiambo.

Babar collected 82 runs in the second wicket partnership with Saad Ali (27) and then added 69 runs during the third- wicket stand with captain Fawad to take the total to 193 before getting out.

His knock was laced with 12 boundaries and one six. He faced 115 deliveries.

Fawad, who also hit a half-century in the last match, played a knock of 84 off 61 deliveries, smashing 10 fours.

He along with Fazal Subhan (14) collected 60 valuable runs on just 32 deliveries during their undefeated partnership for the sixth wicket.

No Kenyan bowler could grab more than one wicket.

Zia-ul-Haq was declared as Man-of-the-Match.

The fourth match will be played at the same venue on Thursday.

Scoreboard Pakistan ‘A’:

Babar Azam c Morris b Nehemia 97 Iftikhar Ahmed lbw b Lucas 12 Saad Ali c Nelson b Shem 27 Fawad Alam not out 84 Muhammad Rizwan run out 1 Zafar Gohar c Alex b Nelson 3 Fazal Subhan not out 14

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-23, NB-3) 27

TOTAL (five wkts, 45 overs) 265

FALL OF WKTS: 1-42, 2-124, 3-193, 4-197, 5-205.

DID NOT BAT: Sami Aslam,

Zia-ul-Haq, Shahzad Azam, Shahzaib Ahmed.

BOWLING: Elijah Otieno 9-0-63-0 (1nb, 1w); Lucas Ndhimabo 5-0-29-1 (1nb, w3); N Odhiambo 8-0-47-1 (w7); Nelson Odhimabo 7-0-32-1 (w10); James Ngoche 7-0-42-0; Eugine Ochieng 3-0-16-0 (nb1); Shem Ngoche 6-0-35-1.

KENYA:

Alex Obanda b Zia 1 Gurudeep Singh c Iftikhar b Shehzad 0 Hamza Malik b Zia 2 Morris Ouma b Zia 0
Nelson Odhiambo b Zia 1 Nehemiah Odhiambo c Rizwan b Zia 9 Shem Ngoche b Shahzaib 11 Elijah Otieno b Zafar 6 Lucas Oluoch not out 18 Eugine Ochieng b Shahzaib 0 James Ngoche lbw Shahzaib 0

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-2) 3

TOTAL (all out, 22 overs) 51

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-2, 3-2, 4-4, 5-7, 6-13, 7-26, 8-48, 9-48.

BOWLING: Zia-ul-Haq 2-9-5-0; Shehzad Azam 5-1-16-1- (nb1); Zafar Gohar 6-1-14- 1 (nb1); Shahzaib Ahmed 6-1-11-3.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2014