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NAIROBI, Sept 4: Australia needed just 19 overs to complete a nine-wicket rout of Pakistan in their triangular One-day International Wednesday.
Having dismissed Pakistan for 117 in 32.3 overs, Ricky Ponting’s side strolled to their third straight victory in the tournament and their second crushing defeat of Pakistan.
Matthew Hayden struck an unbeaten 59 while Damien Martyn hit the winning runs as he finished on 20 not out.
Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis took the only Australian wicket to fall, bowling Adam Gilchrist for 15 while Ponting retired hurt on 21.
The result was never in doubt once Pakistan were reduced to 48 for seven at one stage of their innings as Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath caused havoc.
Pakistan, bowled out for 108 in a 224-run defeat against Australia in their first meeting of the event, lasted just 32.3 overs as their top-order succumbed to a series of rash shots.
Pace bowler Lee finished with four for 32 while McGrath was his usual miserly self, taking three for 15 off 7.3 overs.
Only a ninth-wicket partnership of 44 between Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar spared Pakistan’s blushes — Misbah hitting 39 from just 49 balls including four fours and two sixes.
He hit consecutive boundaries off Jason Gillespie before being caught behind next ball to give Gilchrist a world record 195th One-day International catch, surpassing compatriot Ian Healy.
Waqar, batting at 10, hammered 24 including a six off leg-spinner Shane Warne before being bowled by McGrath.
Pakistan had won the toss and elected to bat but were soon in trouble when opener Imran Nazir was sent back by Gillespie, caught by Martyn at cover for seven in the sixth over.
Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan both fell in the 11th over with the score on 24. Shoaib was caught by Ponting at second slip off McGrath for one while Younis was out for a duck after edging to Gilchrist.
Lee, later named Man-of-the-Match, bagged his first wicket by having opener Saeed Anwar caught by Warne for 22 and then removed Azhar Mahmood and Shahid Afridi as the middle order disintegrated. Warne chipped in to bowl Abdul Razzaq for a duck.
“It was a poor batting performance,” Waqar said afterwards. “(But) this is the same side that beat Australia in Australia and I can assure you there isn’t any serious problem in the team,” he added.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN:
Saeed Anwar c Warne b Lee 22
Imran Nazir c Martyn b Gillespie 7
Shoaib Malik c Ponting b McGrath 1
Younis Khan c Gilchrist b McGrath 0
Misbah-ul-Haq c Gilchrist b Gillespie 39
Azhar Mahmood c Ponting b Lee 4
Abdul Razzaq b Warne 0
Shahid Afridi c Ponting b Lee 0
Rashid Latif c Martyn b Lee 12
Waqar Younis b McGrath 24
Shoaib Akhtar not out 1
EXTRAS (LB-2, W-2, NB-3) 7
TOTAL (all out, 32.3 overs) 117
FALL OF WKTS: 1-13, 2-24, 3-24, 4-33, 5-45, 6-47, 7-48, 8-68, 9-112.
BOWLING: McGrath 7.3-2-15-3; Gillespie 8-1-33-2; Lee 8-0-32-4; Warne 9-2-35-1.
AUSTRALIA:
A.C. Gilchrist b Waqar 15
M.L. Hayden not out 59
R.T. Ponting retired hurt 21
D.R. Martyn not out 20
EXTRAS (W-6) 6
TOTAL (for one wkt, 19.1 overs) 121
FALL OF WKTS: 1-32.
DID NOT BAT: J.P. Maher, M.G. Bevan, S.R. Watson, S.K. Warne, B. Lee, J.N. Gillespie, G.D. McGrath.
BOWLING: Shoaib Akhtar 1.4-0-11-0; Waqar Younis 4-0-26-1; Abdul Razzaq 7.2-2-46-0; Azhar Mahmood 5.1-0-32-0; Shahid Afridi 1-0-6-0.
UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and R.E. Koertzen (South Africa).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Brett Lee.—Reuters
