Formidable Pakistan XI team got off to winning start as they overpowered World XI team by registering a comprehensive nine-wicket win in their opening match of the ICL 20s World Series played at the Lal Bahadur Stadium here on Thursday.
Chasing the modest target of 131 set by World XI, Pakistan XI started their innings with a bang as the menacing opening duo of Imran Nazir (69, 62b, 9x4, 1x6) and Abdul Razzaq (55 not out, 42b, 3x4, 3x6) set the ball rolling all over the park.
The openers produced some flashy strikes without giving any chance to rival bowlers to get hold of them. Man of the-match Nazir was at his best as he raced to his run a ball fifty. The Razzaq-Nazir combine helped Pakistanis to reach 50 in the seventh over.
ICL Pakistan was well placed at 66 for no loss at the halfway mark. The opening duo continued with their onslaught to put on 119 runs on the board in 16.1 overs for the opening wicket before Nazir fell at the individual score of 69 after being finely caught and bowled by Mathew Elliott.
Razzaq raced to his fifty in just 42 balls and remained unbeaten till last, as Pakistan XI needed only 27 runs off 30 balls at one stage with nine wickets in hand. Pakistan XI eased past the modest target of 131 in the end without facing any further casualty.
Earlier, World XI skipper Chris Cairns opted to bat. World XI opened with a new combination, Elliott and Vincent and they comfortably raced to 29 for no loss after three overs.
Inzamam then brought on Shahid Nazir in the fifth over and he instantly came up with the wicket of Elliott for 14.
World XI was well placed at 41-1 after the end of the fifth over. But some tight bowling by Nazir and Arshad Khan in the middle of the innings blocked the scoring rate, restricting the total to only 46-2 in the eighth over.
Shahid accounted for his second scalp of the match in the form of dangerous Damien Martyn's wicket, who was the hero of Wednesdays match against India XI. ICL World XI was tottering at 57-3 at the halfway stage.
Moreover the wickets falling at regular intervals put the world side in more serious trouble as they were at 80 for 5 by the end of 14th over. Razzaq came back with a magical second spell in the 17th over as he sent back dangerous Vincent and Hall off consecutive delivers to leave the ICL World XI in total disarray at 112-7.
The World innings finally culminated at a humble 130-9 without posing any further challenge in their allotted 20 overs.
SCOREBOARD
ICL World XI
MTG Elliott c Abdul Razzaq b Shahid Nazir 14 IJ Harvey c Naved-Ul-Hasan b Arshad Khan 21 DR Martyn b Shahid Nazir 4 RP Arnold (not out) 23 CL Cairns c Humayun Farhat b Arshad Khan 17 M S Atapattu st. Humayun Farhat b Arshad Khan 5 L Vincent c Humayun Farhat b Abdul Razzaq [Images] 26 A J Hall lbw b Abdul Razzaq 0 JJ Van der Wath b Naved-Ul-Hasan 0 U D U Chandana b Naved-Ul-Hasan 6
Extras: 14 (b-1, lb-6, w-7) Total: 130 for nine wickets in 20 overs Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-46, 3-47, 4-68, 5-80, 6-112, 7-112, 8-113, 9-130.
Bowling: Abdul Razzaq 4-0-29-2, Shabbir Ahmed 4-0-37-0, Shahid Nazir 4-0-12-0, Naved-Ul-Hasan 4-0-21-2, Arshad Khan 4-0-24-3.
ICL Pakistan XI
Imran Nazir c & b Elliott 68
Abdul Razzaq not out 54
Imran Farhat not out 1
Extras: 8 (lb-3, w-4, nb-1) Total: 131for one wicket in 17.3 overs Fall of wickets: 1-119
Bowling: JJ Van der Wath 3-0-25-0, M S Kasprowicz 4-0-37-0, AJ Hall 3-0-19-0, IJ Harvey 3-0-21-0, Upul Chandana 3.3-0-19-0, M Elliott 1-0-7-1.
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