Misbah leads Pakistan to victory and series lead
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Misbah-ul-Haq-c1972 played a superb knock, leading Pakistan to victory, in the fourth One Day International (ODI) of the six-match series at the McLean Park Stadium in Napier.
As a result, the visiting side chased down the target in 49 overs. It was a hard fought contest, as both sides had their moments in the game, but finally Pakistan prevailed in the heat of the moment, winning the game narrowly by two wickets.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482, the Pakistan captain said, “Credit to the bowlers, keeping things quiet with the new ball on this great batting track. 265 is still not an easy total, but Shehzad started off well. The way Misbah and Younis took on the responsibility in the
middle overs was crucial. Great knock from Misbah".
Daniel Vettori said, "We were 40 short on a very good deck ... lack of resources, lack of runs. We used up most of our bowlers by the end of the Power-play, and asking Scottie Styris to come on in the end was a tough call”.
In the chase of a competitive 263-run target, Misbah stood like a rock in order to anchor his team to the final total. He remained unbeaten in his 93-run knock, steering his team to triumph in what became a pressure situation.
Furthermore, during his excellent knock when wickets were falling around him, Misbah stood like a pillar of strength. He milked the ball around for ones and twos to build his innings, and then he opened up, despatching deliveries to the fence. His brilliant
display with the bat earned him the ‘Man-of-the-Match’ award.
Misbah said, "Things have worked well for me in recent times. The wicket was really good today, I enjoyed batting here. I enjoy playing with Younis, even during the Tests and other ODIs in the past. The teamwork is coming through - the skipper is doing very
well, the team is gelling well. We have a good vibe leading to the World Cup".
Earlier Pakistan lost a couple of quick wickets in their hunt. Misbah and Younis Khan led their team’s revival, adding 89 runs for the fourth wicket stand. The pair laid a launching pad for the lower-order batsmen to spring their assault.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754, who won the toss, elected to bat first on a batting friendly track. Half-centuries from James Franklin and Nathan McCullum guided their team to 262 in their allotted quota of 50 overs.
In the end, it was not enough, as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 achieved the total in the penultimate over, with two wickets to spare.
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