Pak crush Kiwis by huge margin; take 1-0 lead

Zeecric Bureau

Abu Dhabi: Pakistan clinched the opener ODI encounter against New Zealand by 138 runs, thus leading the three-match series by 1-0.

Earlier, Splendid half-centuries by Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Khalid Latif propelled Pakistan to post a respectable score of 287/9 in the first ODI against New Zealand at Abu Dhabi Stadium on Tuesday.

Dashing all-rounder Afridi hit a quickfire 50-ball 70 and opener Latif a snail-paced 64 to help Pakistan recover from a precarious 75/4 after Younis Khan won the toss and opted to bat on a flat pitch.

Akmal gave the innings final touches with a belligerent 43-ball 67 laced with four sixes and five boundaries as Pakistan ran rampage, collecting 107 in the last ten overs.

Afridi, vice captain of the side, was instrumental in initially stepping up the run-rate with his bold hitting as he smashed three sixes and four boundaries during his 30th half-century.

He added 101 runs for the fifth wicket with Latif after New Zealand paceman Shane Bond dismissed opener Salman Butt and Younis -- both without scoring -- in his incisive five-over spell.

Latif, who scored 19 in his only previous One-day in January last year, was also involved in a 57-run stand for the third wicket with Mohammad Yousuf, who shaped well for his 30 before being run out.

Afridi hit Vettori for a six before smashing two off successive deliveries off Nathan McCullum. He hit Bond for a straight drive to reach half-century off 36 deliveries, his first after 33 matches.

Afridi’s last ODI fifty came against Zimbabwe at Multan last year.

Paceman Jacob Oram finally got Afridi off a miscued shot, caught at short fine-leg in the 39th over to break a repair-damaging partnership. Latif followed, bowled by Vettori’s viscious arm ball two overs later.

Latif hit only two boundaries during his 112-ball knock.

Kamran’s innings was special as he made full use of the power-play, and added 86 off just 37 balls for the seventh wicket with Abdul Razzaq, who made 20-ball 26.

The three-match One-day series was relocated to Abu Dhabi after New Zealand refused to tour Pakistan over security fears.


Squads:

Pakistan: Younus Khan (capt), Salman Butt, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Yousuf, Umer Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamir

New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (capt), Brendon McCullum, Aaron Redmond, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Shane Bond, Ian Butler