Pakistan beat New Zealand by 138 runs

Abu Dhabi: Pakistan scored an emphatic 138-runs victory over New Zealand in the first One-day match of the Cool & Cool Cup series at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Shahid Afridi sparkled with the bat and ball to inflict the crushing defeat on New Zealand and evetually bagged the Man of the Match award. He lifted Pakistan out of trouble through an elegant 70 runs and took two wickets at a crucial stage of the game.

Pakistan opener Khalid Latif, playing in only his second One-day match, and Afridi helped their team register a mammoth 287 for 9 through a 101 runs partnership for the fifth wicket.  Kamran Akmal, coming out to bat at No.7, chipped in with a breezy unbeaten 67 runs off 43 balls with five boundaries and four sixes to ensure the huge total. New Zealand were bowled out for 149 runs.

Twenty-three-year-old Latif utilised the chance to crack an elegant 64 while Afridi enthralled the crowd with a quick 70 off 51 balls studded with four boundaries and three sixes. Together they lifted Pakistan from 75 for 4 with a 101 runs partnership for the fifth wicket.

Earlier, Pakistan winning the toss elected to bat. New Zealand pacer Shane Bond produced a fine opening spell to dismiss opener Salman Butt and skipper Younus Khan for ducks.

Bond produced a moving delivery and forced Butt to edge to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum.  Khan, who is reeling under bad form, went for a square drive and edged Bond's delivery into the McCullum's gloves.

Mohammad Yousuf and Latif took the score to 57. Yousuf, who looked like settling for a big score, was run out off a brilliant pick up and throw from Martin Guptill to the non strikers end from cover point. Vettori exposed Umar Akmal's inexperience by producing a delivery that spun across his bat to hit his off stump.

Afridi and Latif began the rescue act from the 23rd over and by the 39th over they positioned Pakistan in a respectable position. The crowd cheered Afridi, who hit three sixes. Vettori ended Latif's knock too forcing him to chop on to his leg stump.

Kamran Akmal, coming out to bat at No. 7, took charge and along with Abdul Razzaq put on 86 runs in just 7.1 overs to steer Pakistan past the 250-run mark. Razzaq fell for 26, going for a big hit off Butler and was caught at covers by Scott Styris.

Akmal remained unconquered on 67 and returned to the pavilion, clapped all the way by the crowd.

New Zealand began their chase on a slow pace. Brendon McCullum was the first to go, playing an Umar Gul delivery on to this wicket for 21.

Next man Martin Guptill lasted only nine balls to score four runs before Gul bowled him too. Two wickets down for 34 in the first ten overs, Pakistan took a firm grip.

The mantle of lifting New Zealand fell on Ross Taylor and Aaron Redmond. Left-arm pacer Mohammad Aamer produced a beautiful moving delivery to force Taylor edge to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal for a duck. Scott Styris, who had last played one day cricket against India in March this year at Auckland, joined Redmond.  He pulled Abdul Razzaq to substitute Imran Farhat at deep square leg for five.

All eyes turned toward Vettori. He settled down quickly and put on 69 runs for the fifth wicket. Redmond went on to hit his third half century from his eighth One-day match. At his score on 52, Redmond went to sweep Saeed Ajmal's quicker delivery and was trapped leg before. His knock came off 91 balls and contained six boundaries.

By the 32nd over the run rate climbed to nine. Vettori kept the score board moving. At the score on 139 for 5, Vettori went for a wild sweep across the line off Afridi and got clean bowled for 38. Afridi also trapped Nathan McCullum leg before for a duck with the very next ball.

New Zealand were bowled out in 39.2 overs.

Scoreboard

Pakistan
Salman Butt c B. McCullum b Bond 0
Khalid Latif b Vettori 64
Younus Khan c B. McCullum b Bond 0
Mohammad Yousuf run out 30
Umer Akmal b Vettori 9
Shahid Afridi c Butler b Oram 70
Kamran Akmal not out 67
Abdul Razzaq c Styris b Butler 26
Umar Gul run out 0
Mohammad Aamir c B. McCullum b Southee 0
Saeed Ajmal not out 0
Extras: (lb8, nb2, w11) 21
Total: for nine wkts 287
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Butt), 2-0 (Younus), 3-57 (Yousuf), 4-57 (Umer), 5-176 (Afridi), 6-184 (Latif), 7-270 (Razzaq), 8-271 (Gul), 9-277 (Aamir)
Bowling: Bond 10-2-61-2 (8w), Southee 10-2-54-1, Butler 7-0-54-1 (2nb, 2w), Oram 10-0-47-1 (1w), Vettori 10-1-34-2, N. McCullum 3-0-29-0
Overs: 50
 
New Zealand
B. McCullum b Gul 21
A. Redmond lbw b Ajmal 52
M. Guptill b Gul 4
R. Taylor c Kamran b Aamir 0
S. Styris c sub (Farhat) b Razzaq 5
D. Vettori b Afridi 38
J. Oram b Razzaq 9
N. McCullum lbw b Afridi 0
I. Butler run out 4
S. Bond not out 4
T. Southee lbw b Ajmal 1
Extras: (lb8, nb1, w2) 11
Total: 149
Fall of wickets: 1-30 (B. McCullum), 2-34 (Guptill), 3-35 (Taylor), 4-50 (Styris), 5-119 (Redmond), 6-139 (Vettori), 7-139 (N. McCullum), 8-139 (Oram), 9-144 (Butler)
Bowling: Aamir 7-1-15-1, Gul 6-3-24-2 (1nb), Razzaq 9-1-38-2, Afridi 10-0-46-2 (2w), Ajmal 7.2-0-18-2
Overs: 39.2
 
Result: Pakistan won by 138 runs
Toss: Pakistan
Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (AUS), Asad Rauf (PAK)
Tv Umpire: Zameer Haider (PAK)
Match Referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)