HARARE: All-rounder Imad Wasim took four wickets to spin Pakistan to a 13-run victory over Zimbabwe in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals at Harare Sports Club on Sunday.

Although Zimbabwe put in a disciplined performance with the ball after losing the toss and restricted Pakistan to 136 for eight, they were unable to contend with Imad’s bowling on a slow pitch and crumbled to 123 for nine in reply.

The 26-year-old Imad finished with four for 11 from four overs, his best-ever return in all T20 cricket, and was named man-of-the-match having also contributed 19 runs from just 12 balls.

“Everything I touched turned into gold today,” Wasim said. “I tried to bowl wicket-to-wicket and the basics paid off.”

Such a comfortable victory was not always on the cards for Pakistan, who slumped to 29 for three early in their innings as seamer Chamu Chibhabha grabbed three wickets in six deliveries.

Their recovery was led by Shoaib Malik, who scored 35 from just 24 balls before he was bowled by a skiddy Sean Williams delivery, and was finished off by Mohammad Rizwan’s unbeaten 33.

Chibhabha finished with figures of three for 18 from three overs, and also took an outstanding catch in the outfield to dismiss Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi late in the innings.

That helped Zimbabwe prevent the onsla­ught at the death that their bowlers have been vulnerable to this year, but they lost in-form Chibhabha to Imad in the first over of their reply.

Hamilton Masakadza’s steady 25 kept the hosts in the game as they headed towards the halfway stage of their chase, before Imad returned to take a wicket in each of his remaining three overs and leave Zimbabwe’s lower order with too much to do.

Captain Elton Chigumbura’s 31 took the match into the last over with Zimbabwe needing 16 to win with two wickets in hand, but left-arm seamer Imran Khan Jr held his nerve to secure the win for Pakistan.

“We just lost too many wickets at the end,” Chigumbura reflected. “The wicket was a bit slow and difficult, but requiring six runs an over, it was good enough to bat on. We have come close on many occasions but we keep on losing.”

Pakistan handed an international debut to Imran Jr following his wicket-taking exploits in their domestic Twenty20 competition earlier this month, while all-rounder Luke Jongwe made his Twenty20 International bow for Zimbabwe.

The second T20 International takes place at the same venue on Tuesday, and will be followed by three One-day Internationals.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:

Ahmed Shehzad b Chibhabha 17Mukhtar Ahmed c Masakadza b Chibhabha 4Sohaib Maqsood b Chibhabha 6Shoaib Malik b Williams 35Umar Akmal c Masakadza b Cremer 14Mohammad Rizwan not out 33Imad Wasim c Ervine b Jongwe 19Shahid Afridi c Chibhabha b Panyangara 2Wahab Riaz run out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-3, NB-1) 6

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs) 136

FALL OF WKTS: 1-21, 2-25, 3-29, 4-71, 5-87, 6-133, 7-136, 8-136.

DID NOT BAT: Sohail Tanvir, Imran Khan Jr.

BOWLING: Utseya 4-0-32-0; Chibhabha 3-0-18-3 (1w); Panyangara 2-0-8-1; Jongwe 2-0-9-1 (1nb, 1w); Cremer 4-0-21-1; Williams 4-0-34-1; Sikandar Raza 1-0-12-0 (1w).

ZIMBABWE:

H. Masakadza c Mukhtar b Imad 25C.J. Chibhabha b Imad 0C.R. Ervine lbw b Sohail 11Sikandar Raza lbw b Imad 13 S.C. Williams lbw b Imad 14 E. Chigumbura run out 31R. Mutumbami run out 9L.M. Jongwe run out 2A.G. Cremer c Afridi b Wahab 0P. Utseya not out 12 T. Panyangara not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-3) 5

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 20 overs) 123

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-27, 3-49, 4-60, 5-66, 6-77, 7-90, 8-90, 9-121.

BOWLING: Imad Wasim 4-0-11-4 (1w); Sohail Tanvir 4-0-24-1; Wahab Riaz 4-0-27-1 (1w); Imran Khan Jr 4-0-29-0 (1w); Shahid Afridi 3-0-23-0; Shoaib Mali 1-0-7-0.

RESULT: Pakistan won by 13 runs.

UMPIRES: T.J. Matibiri and R.B. Tiffin (both Zimbabwe).

TV UMPIRE: L. Rusere (Zimbabwe).

MATCH REFEREE: D.T. Jukes (England).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Imad Wasim.

SECOND MATCH: Harare, Tuesday (4:00pm).

Published in Dawn, September 28th , 2015

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