Champions Trophy second semi-final New Zealand keep Pakistan in check

Caps off to the winners: Daniel Vettori's made hard work of the run chase but ended up winning by five wickets Photo: EPA

Johannesburg—New Zealand found the perfect balance between the defensive and the offensive after having lost the toss on a flat pitch surrounded by an outfield as fast as a highway. They bowled tight lines interspersed with odd effort balls, their fielders made every run hard work, and frustrated Pakistan into giving their wickets away at important junctures. As a result, Pakistan were left to defend 233, that too thanks to a 35-run last-wicket stand between Mohammad Aamer and Saeed Ajmal.

Only the 19-year-old Umar Akmal batted with a free mind, scoring a 62-ball 55 in the middle overs, but just before he could open up in the last 10 a rare ordinary call from Simon Taufel accounted for him. The rest of the batsmen, though, were thrown off their game plan by the hustling New Zealanders. Pakistan once again suggested they had forgotten the batting Powerplay, and played as if the good old 15-over restriction rule was in place.

Mohammad Yousuf and Umar did well to bring Pakistan back from 86 for 4, but did little to unsettle the lesser bowlers. Yousuf, too, fell when the time to accelerate came, having scored 45 off 78. James Franklin and Grant Elliot went for 40 in their 10 overs, and gave Ian Butler and Shane Bond enough scope to attack. Butler ended with career-best figures of 4 for 44.

The innings started with a delightful face-off between two men making their comebacks from ICL. Bond was forever accurate, consistently bowling inswingers headed for the top of off stump. The first such delivery to Imran Nazir showed him a slight bat-pad gap. All through his first spell Bond kept working on that gap. He played on the intelligence and ego of a batsman known for his attacking instinct and dashing stroke play - mixing the inswingers with slower legcutters.

On his part, Nazir played one of his more mature knocks. He didn’t try any expansive shots to Bond. He found release by hitting Butler for three boundaries in his first over, and Pakistan suddenly looked healthy at 43 for 0 after nine overs.

That was when Bond produced a special over. Two accurate bouncers, one a no-ball, and the other one, a jaffa, rising from just short of a length and jagging into Nazir and taking the edge, reminded the cricketing world what it had been missing.

It was then Butler’s turn to make a comeback from an ordinary start. He first induced an edge from Shoaib Malik, and then got an under-pressure Kamran Akmal to hole out to sweeper-cover. At 69 for 3 Pakistan needed a renovation job from Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, but bowling at such times is right up Daniel Vettori’s alley.

In his second over, he got a leading edge from Younis, his third failure in three innings in the tournament. While Yousuf and Umar added 80 runs for the fifth wicket, the intent that their middle order showed against India was missing. It also owed to much smarter bowling and field placements from New Zealand.

When Yousuf fell in the 39th over, with the score on 166, one would have expected Shahid Afridi to call for the Powerplay. He didn’t. But he kept playing risky cricket at the same time, and paid for it. In between those two dismissals, Taufel ruled Umar lbw off Vettori, while replays showed the batsman had hit the ball.

The bowlers were left to give themselves runs to defend, and Aamer and Ajmal did that in uninhibited manner. They managed 233 but will it be too much to do for the most varied and skilled attack of the tournament?

Pakistan: 1 Imran Nazir, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Younis Khan (capt), 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Mohammad Yousuf, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, 9 Mohammad Aamer, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Umar Gul.

New Zealand: 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Aaron Redmond, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Neil Broom, 6 Grant Elliot/Scott Styris, 7 James Franklin, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Shane Bond, 11 Ian Butler. Link...

Umar Akmal and Yousaf help Pakistan to post 233 runs

Umar Akmal scored his second fifty of his 8-match career. © Cricdb [Photo by Yasir Nisar]

Umar Akmal and Mohammad Yousuf 80-run partnership and Mohammed Aamer brisk cameo helped Pakistan to negotiate for a modest of 233 against New Zealand in the second semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg.

Pakistan after winning the toss, off to a confident start as Imran Nazir of punched the third of ball of the day off Kyle Mills whereas Kamran Akmal off the mark with a single towards third man off Shane Bond. Both openers were flourishing with caution as Bond was up to the mark bowled with a tidy line and length.

An opening partnership of 46 runs was dislodged by Bond, removing Nazir off a withering delivery, pitched at good length – Nazir went to defend it but forced to an edged back to first slip where Ross Taylor pouched a regulation catch. Mills finished up his first four-over spell conceded just 18 runs replaced by Ian Butler – who was smashed for three boundaries by Nazir in his first over as the pacer erred with his line and length but Bond though ensured Pakistan were not let off the hook as he struck with the wicket of Nazir.

Pakistan quickly reeled up as Butler after two disappointing overs bonce back strongly to peg Pakistan, removing Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal in his successive overs; Malik edged behind to be caught by Taylor at first slip for 2 and Akmal caught brilliantly by debutant Aaron Redmond.

Skipper Younis Khan was the next man back in hut after a 36-ball cameo of 15 runs, detached by Daniel Vettori, Khan tried to play on the leg side but got a leading edge to give Taylor his third catch of the match. With the wicket of veteran batsman Pakistan's runs on the board dried up before youngster Umar Akmal hammered two consecutive boundaries off Vettori to clear his intention but New Zealand skipper was difficult to score off as he bowled two maidens in his first six overs, while giving away just 19 runs to restrict Pakistan to 118 for four after 30 overs.

Both Umar Akmal and Mohammad Yousaf then took the charge in their hands and laid a solid partnership to rescue Pakistan – who at once stage lost his four of their top order for 84. Umar hit 55 from 62 balls and was given good support from Mohammad Yousuf (45) as the pair shared an 80-run fifth-wicket stand, before they were pegged back by Daniel Vettori and Ian Butler, who took a career-best four for 44.

Pakistan almost wrapped up under 200 mark but some brave effort by tail-enders rolled Pakistan score from 192 to 233, thanks to Mohammad Aamir and Saeed Ajmal those shared 35-run for the last wicket stand to boost Pakistan total. Link...

Younus admits his catch miss proved fatal

JOHANNSBURG: Batsmen failing to make a long partnership resulted in Pakistan team’s defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the second semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy, said the national team Captain, Younus Khan in Geo News Captain’s Corner.

Younus Khan said that besides national team’s poor performance in fielding, the goddess of luck also didn’t smile. He admitted that his missing the catch proved fatal to the team.

Younus Khan said that he was satisfied with the overall performance of the team. Link...