http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Canada-c748 after a huge scare
PAK 184 in 43 overs CAN 138 in 42.3 overs
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi continued his love affair with the ongoing ICC World Cup with a stunning 5-wicket haul that gave his team a face saving 46 run win over minnows Canada at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo.
The Pakistanis looked down and out after being bundled out for a meagre 184 run total in the first innings. Canadian batsmen Jimmy Hansra and Zubin Surkari had taken their team within 80 runs of the target, when Afridi weaved his magic with an incredible spell.
Afridi ran through the tail after Saeed Ajmal removed Sarkari with a faster one that wrapped him on the pads. The Pakistani captain was on fire, with his guile proving too much for the lowly ranked team that had little exposure to top class spin bowling before they ran into the man who is in the bowling form of his life.
Earlier in the day, a resolute partnership between Misbah Ul Haq and the young gun Umar Akmal saved Pakistan from a total collapse after the top order was blown away. The men in green were tottering at 67/4 after they opted to bat first in overcast conditions that were suited to the Canadian style of bowling.
The opening duo of Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad were tentative once again and paid the price with their wickets, while Younis Khan and Kamran Akmal were also out in quick succession.
Umar and Misbah added 73 runs for the fifth wicket taking Pakistan’s score to 140; a collapse saw them lose their last five wickets for only 44 runs.
Harvir Baidwan was the wrecker-in-chief taking 3 wickets as the Canadians went into the innings break with real hope that was only dismissed by the determination and flair of BOOM BOOM Afridi.
Afridi has become the first bowler to take three consecutive 4 wicket hauls in the World Cup; he is the leading wicket taker in the tournament with a staggering 14 wickets in only 3 matches.
Tags: