1st ODI: Zimbabwe stun Pakistan with seven-wicket win

Zimbabwe recorded their first win over Pakistan for 15 years as they cruised to a seven-wicket victory in the opening one-day international at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.

Chasing 245, Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda enjoyed a century opening stand to lay the platform for only Zimbabwe's third limited-overs victory over Pakistan in 45 matches.

Skipper Brendan Taylor played a steady hand to see his side to their target along with a swashbuckling cameo from Sean Williams who smashed 39 from 23 balls to ease home nerves at the death.

Pakistan, who won the toss, were lifted by the experienced Misbah-ul-Haq (83) and Mohammad Hafeez (70).

While they were scoring at a run-a-ball, it looked as though the visitors would set a target of around 280, but they lost momentum as wickets fell and even the usually explosive Shahid Afridi (11) struggled to find the boundary.

"We misread the pitch, it looked like it was going to be slow in the second innings, but it just played slow from the start. Still, Zimbabwe bowled better than us," Pakistan captain Misbah said at the presentation ceremony.

"We were maybe 30 runs short, but you need to bowl and field well to defend this total. We were missing something in our bowling line-up today, especially with the new ball."

Zimbabwe appeared to have little trouble, though, as Masakadza (85) and Sibanda (54) put on 107 for the first wicket by manoeuvring the ball cleverly around the ground.

Taylor (43 not out) and Williams guided their side to a famous win with 10 balls to spare, the latter launching a six over mid-wicket to end the match.

"It's a pretty awesome feeling, we have shown a lot of character from a couple of weeks back when we were badly beaten by India, so I couldn't be happier," Taylor said.

"To beat the quality team that Pakistan have got shows that we are doing the right things. When our top-order batsmen come off it lays that foundation, our seam bowlers today were also exceptional. But there is still room for improvement, we dropped some pretty easy catches."

The second one-day international will be played at the same venue on Thursday.

ZIMBABWE INNINGS

Williams smashes a six off Irfan as Zimbabwe win the first one-day international against Pakistan by seven wickets and 10 balls to spare at Harare on Tuesday.

Chasing a target of 245, Masakadza (85) and Sibanda (54) laid the foundation for victory with an opening partnership of 107.

Skipper Brendan Taylor remained unbeaten on 43 to steer Zimbabwe to a memorable victory.

Sean Williams was unbeaten on 39 off 23 hitting four boundaries and a six.

Zimbabwe are doing it easily taking six runs of Ajmal's last over. Zimbabwe need just five from 12 balls.

Williams has cracked a boundary off Junaid in the 47th over. Zimbabwe need 11 off 18 balls.

Williams is attacking Ajmal getting consecutive boundaries on the leg side. Zimbabwe need 19 from 24 balls.

Williams gets a streaky boundary via an inside edge off Junaid Khan as Zimbabwe march along needing 30 off the last six overs.

Zimbabwe need 39 from 36 balls with seven wickets in hand.

Maruma top edges Junaid for a six over third man but is out next ball. Zim 201-3 in 43 overs need 44 from 42 balls.   

Timycen Maruma c Shehzad b Junaid Khan 18 (22b 1x4 1x6)

Maruma breaks the shackles by lofting Afridi over long on for a boundary. Zim 192-2 in 42 overs need 53 from 48 balls.

Masakadza's great knock comes to an end as he slams Ajmal straight to Misbah at cover. Zim 176-1.

Hamilton Masakadza c Misbah-ul-Haq b Ajmal 85 (104b 9x4 1x6)

Zimbabwe are motoring along rapidly with Taylor and Masakadza picking up a boundary apiece off Hafeez. Zim 175-1 in 37 overs.

Tight over by Ajmal conceding just two runs. Zimbabwe need 79 off 84 balls. Zim 166-1 in 36 overs.

Zimbabwe are cruising along merrily with Taylor lofting Amin over extra cover. Zim 160-1 in 34 overs.

Masakadza is turning it on hammering Afridi for a six over extra cover and finishing with a boundary. Zim 150-1 in 32 overs.

Taylor sweeps Afridi to square leg for another boundary. Zim 135-1 in 30 overs.

Masakadza dances down the tracks and lofts Ajmal over midon for a boundary. Zim 128-1 in 28 overs.

Taylor hits Junaid uppishly through the covers for his first boundary as Zimbabwe maintain the momentum. Zim 122-1 in 27 overs.

Masakadza completes his half century off Irfan and paddle sweeps Ajmal to the square leg fence. Zim 116-1 in 26 overs.

Ajmal strikes trapping Sibanda leg before. Zim 107-1   

Vusi Sibanda lbw b Ajmal 54 (82b 6x4 0x6)

Ajmal returns to the attack as Pakistan are desperate to stem the tide of runs.

Sibanda reaches his half century in style smashing Irfan to the midwicket fence. Zim 105-0 in 23 overs.

Masakadza pulls a short pitched delivery from Irfan to the fence.

Zimbabwean openers are marching ahead with confidence and looking strong. Pakistani spinners have not troubled much the openers.

The hosts reach 59-0 in 14 overs. Both openers looking good at the moment.

Shahid Afridi to bowl his second over now.

Masakadzaand Sibanda take Zimbabwe to 56 in 13 overs.

Zimbawe score 50 runs for no loss in 11 overs.

Zimbabwe reach 47 in 10 overs.

Masakadza flick Saeed Ajmal for a boundary.

Mohammed Hafeez to bowl from the other end.

Saeed Ajmal bowled a good over, just giving away two runs in the first over.

Pakistan bring spin attack.

Sibanda takes on Irfan in the 7th over, hits him two boundaries. Zimbabwe reach 38 in 7 overs. The last two overs produced 20 runs for the hosts.

Masakadza hits third boundary to Junaid in the 6th over.

Masakadza hits Khan for the second boundary in the 6th over.

Junaid Khan hit for a boundary by Hamilton Masakadza, taking Zimbabwe to 22 in 5.1 overs.

Zimbabwe reach 18 without loss in five overs.

Vusi Sibanda takes on Mohammed Irfan, hits him a boundary.

Hamilton Masakadza hits Junaid for a boundary, the first by the Zimbabweans.

Junaid was wayward in the first over, bowled three wide deliveries.

Junaid Khan to bowl from the other end.

First over was bowled maiden from Irfan.

Mohammed Irfan to bowl the first over for Pakistan.

PAKISTAN INNINGS

Misbah-ul-Haq hit a crucial half-century in his 50th consecutive match as Pakistan's one-day captain, but saw his side kept in check in the first one-day international against Zimbabwe on Tuesday.

A topsy-turvy innings saw Zimbabwe miss five chances in the field but still hold Pakistan to 244 for seven - a decent but achievable score on a dry Harare Sports Club surface.

Misbah shared in a 99-run stand for the third wicket with Mohammad Hafeez, who made 70, and finished unbeaten on 83 after holding the innings together as Pakistan's middle and lower order failed to fire.

It could have been far worse for the tourists had Zimbabwe held their catches - both Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad were put down during an opening partnership of 56, while Hafeez was let off on 10 and 55.

Misbah required no such luck in a well-paced knock that saw him go to fifty in 62 balls before opening up towards the end, and his two sixes off Tinashe Panyangara in the final over of the innings ensured that Pakistan had something to bowl at.

Panyangara had been the pick of the Zimbabwean bowlers up until that point, and would have reaped better figures than his none for 38 had it not been for Zimbabwe's poor catching.

Tendai Chatara was more fortunate in that regard, and took 2 for 32 in his 10 overs.

Half centuries by Mohammad Hafeez (70) and Misbah ul Haq (83 not out) lifted Pakistan to 244-7 in the first one-day international against Zimbabwe at Harare on Tuesday.

Opting to bat first, Pakistan were slow off the block before Hafeez and Misbah stepped up the tempo during a 99-run stand for the third wicket.

Hafeez slammed six boundaries and three sixes during his run a ball half century while Misbah smashed a couple off sixes in the last over from Panyangara.

Misbah also hit three boundaries pacing his innings beautifully as they suffered a middle order slump.

Vitori and Chatara claimed two wickets apiece while Panyangara was also impressive having figures of 10-2-38-0.

Ahmed is run out following a line decision. Pak 223-7.

Sarfraz Ahmed run out 7 (18b 0x4 0x6)

Utseya takes a brilliant catch at cover to dismiss Sohail. Pak 202-6.

Haris Sohail c Utseya b Vitori 2 (7b 0x4 0x6)

Afridi departs edging Vitori behind. Pak 198-5.

Shahid Afridi c Taylor b Vitori 11 (15b 2x4 0x6)

Afridi gets his first boundary with a flick to fine leg off Vitori. Pak 190-4 in 40 overs.

Amin is run out hesitating in going back for a second. Pak 184-4.

Umar Amin run out 1 (1b 0x4 0x6)

Chatara strikes again as Hafeez scoops to Maruma at short third man ending a 99-run stand for the third wicket. Pak 179-3.

Mohammad Hafeez c Maruma b Chatara 70 (71b 6x4 3x6)

Misbah cracks another boundary off Masakadza. Pak 155-2 in 33 overs.

Another good over for Pakistan with Misbah cracking a boundary off Masakadza while Taylor missed a stumping chance off Hafeez. Pak 145-2 in 31 overs.

Hafeez completes his 18th ODI half century. Pak 134-2 in 30 overs.

Big over for Pakistan as Hafeez steps up the tempo cracking three boundaries off Waller. Pak 131-2 in 29 overs.

It also brings up the 50 partnership for the third wicket off 57 balls.

Hafeez lofts Utseya into the sightscreen for a six. Pak 105-2 in 25 overs.

Hafeez rocks backs and pulls Chigumbura to the fence. Pak 98-2 in 24 overs.

Chatara sends down a maiden to Hafeez. Pak 87-2 in 22 overs.

Misbah hits his first boundary with a reverse sweep off Utseya. Pak 87-2 in 21 overs.

Chatara strikes as Jamshed edges behind to Taylor. Pak 80-2.

Nasir Jamshed c Taylor b Chatara 27 (53b 2x4 0x6)

Hafeez opens outs slamming consecutive sixes off Utseya, the second being palmed over the line by Panyangara. Pak 78-1 in 19 overs.

Utseya strikes as Shehzad lunges forward and is smartly stumped by Taylor. Pak 56-1.

Ahmed Shehzad st Taylor b Utseya 24 (47b 2x4 0x6)

Shehzad sweeps Utseya past backward fine leg for a welcome boundary for Pakistan.

Panyangara is the unlucky bowler once again as Shehzad is dropped at cover by Williams. Pak 44-0 in 11 overs.

Panyangara bowls a tight over beating the bat of Jamshed. Pak 38-0 in 9 overs.

Jamshed gets his second boundary of the over nudging Vitori past the keeper. Pak 36-0 in 8 overs.

Jamshed gets his first boundary with a lovely straight drive off Vitori.

Jamshed gets a life as Sibanda puts down a regulation catch at second slip off Panyangara. Pak 25-0 in 7 overs.

Shehzad hits the first boundary of the match in the eighth over steering Vitori past backward point. Pak 22-0 in 6 overs.

Panyangara bowls a second consecutive maiden over.

Shehzad gets the first runs tucking away Vitori for a couple.

Shehzad and Jamshed open for Pakistan while Panyangara has the new ball.

Pakistan have won the toss and opted to bat first in the first one-day international against Zimbabwe on Tuesday.

Pakistan have included Umar Amin in the middle order ahead of Shafiq and Sohail.

Tendai Chatara is in for Shingi Masakadza for Zimbabwe.

PLAYING XI

Zimbabwe: V Sibanda, H Masakadza, B Taylor, S Williams, T Maruma, M Waller, E Chigumbura, P Utseya, T Panyangara, T Chatara, B Vitori
   
Pakistan: Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Amin, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Haris Sohail, Junaid Khan, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan

PREVIEW

Zimbabwe know they must buck their recent trend and get all three departments of their game to fire if they are going to challenge Pakistan in the three-match one-day series that starts on Tuesday.

Having been whitewashed 5-0 by India in a recent series, Brendan Taylor's side showed signs of improvement during two Twenty20 matches against Pakistan last week but still lost comfortably because of their inability to play the perfect game.

While the Zimbabwean batsmen successfully moved on from a horror showing against India, the Pakistani targets proved beyond them because of some lacklustre bowling and fielding - and also the brilliance of Ahmed Shehzad, who scored 168 runs in the two games.

With Pakistan promising to field a full-strength side, the hosts know they will need to get everything right if they are to win a game.

"Realistically we need all three departments to function properly," Zimbabwe assistant coach Steve Mangongo said on Monday.

"That has been the biggest weakness - either the batting does well and the bowling comes short, or vice versa."

Hamilton Masakadza was restored to the top of the order alongside Vusi Sibanda for the two Twenty20s, and the move brought reward as they put on 50 partnerships in both games.

Mangongo confirmed that the pair would continue to open the batting in the one-day internationals.

"Since the India series, they have got back in form during the T20s and if they can maintain that then we can get a competitive score," he said.

Although Pakistan will be strong favourites for another series sweep, captain Misbah-ul-Haq confirmed that they will not be taking Zimbabwe lightly.

Asked whether the tourists might use the series to experiment with different combinations, Misbah said: "I don't think so. Any side at home could be dangerous.

"We would like to give a few youngsters chances but still we will like to go with the main strength and try to win, as it is important for us to win this."
Having been rested for the Twenty20 matches, left-arm seamer Junaid Khan is expected to come into the side on Tuesday, while batsman Asad Shafiq and all-rounder Abdur Rehman will also be in contention.

 

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