AMSTELVEEN, Aug 28: Matthew Hayden's half-century took Australia to 192 for seven in the triangular series final against Pakistan at the VRA Ground here on Saturday.
The opener's patient 59 was the cornerstone of an Australia total that could yet provide a challenging target for Pakistan to chase on a wearing pitch where the odd ball was flying through off a good length.
Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar took two wickets in the last over, which culminated in the run-out of Brad Hogg, and finished with three for 40 from his full 10 overs.
Hayden put on 61 with Darren Lehmann (40) for the third wicket before Lehmann then shared a stand of 57 with Andrew Symonds (36).
Damien Martyn was six not out.
After Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat, Pakistan's new-ball bowlers, Mohammad Sami and Shabbir Ahmed, kept a tight line.
Meanwhile the outfield had been slowed by several days of rain which also made the pitch difficult for strokeplay.
Wicket-keeper Brad Haddin, Australia's other opening batsman and playing in place of fellow gloveman Adam Gilchrist, who had stayed at home for the birth of his second child, was hit on the helmet by Sami after he was late on an intended hook.
And later in the ninth over Haddin went for 10 when he dragged a pull off the paceman onto his stumps, Australia 21 for one.
Both Sami (6-1-11-1) and Shabbir (7-1-19-0), who cleverly used the off-cutter to good effect, bowled miserly opening spells.
Hayden and Ponting took Australia to 65 for two in the 24th over before the captain, on 25, saw a miscued drive off Abdul Razzaq caught by Imran Farhat.
Queensland's Hayden then went to fifty off 104 balls with just three fours.
But his fellow left-hander Lehmann upped the boundary count with a cut four off Akhtar.
But Hayden fell when a pick up off Akhtar was caught by Yasir Hameed running round from deep square leg.
Symonds then struck Malik for a huge straight six before slogging him for four as 15 runs came off the 46th over.
Ahmed, returning for the penultimate over, broke the partnership with his first ball back when he had Lehmann caught by wicket-keeper Moin Khan.
Symonds's 40-ball innings then ended when he was yorked by Akhtar four balls from the finish.
Play was delayed by 90 minutes, a predominately Pakistan-supporting crowd enjoying the sunshine in what had been a rain-marred warm-up event for next month's ICC Champions Trophy tournament in England.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA:
M.L. Hayden c Yasir b Shoaib Akhtar 59
B.J. Haddin b Sami 10
R.T. Ponting c Imran b Razzaq 25
D.S. Lehmann c Moin b Shabbir 40
A. Symonds b Shoaib Akhtar 36
D.R. Martyn not out 6
M.J. Clarke c Inzamam b Shoaib Akhtar 1
G.B. Hogg run out 0
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-5, W-5, NB-4) 15
TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 192 FALL OF WKTS: 1-21, 2-65, 3-126, 4-183, 5-189, 6-192, 7-192.
DID NOT BAT: B. Lee, J.N. Gillespie, G.D. McGrath.
BOWLING: Mohammad Sami 10-1-26-1 (4nb, 1w); Shabbir Ahmed 8-1-25-1; Shoaib Akhtar 10-0-40-3 (2w); Abdul Razzaq 8-1-30-1; Shahid Afridi 6-0-20-0; Shoaib Malik 8-0-45-0 (2w).
PAKISTAN: Umran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Shoaib Malik, Inzamamul Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Moin Khan, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed.
UMPIRES: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies) and D.R. Shepherd (England).
TV UMPIRE: M.R. Benson (England).
MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England).-Agencies