Wednesday, February 23, 2011

pakistan set 317

pakistan set 317

Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan
 scored half-centuries to steady
 Pakistan before they were
 dismissed as Kenya fought back
 in Hambantota © AFP

Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan helped Pakistan recover from an early stutter during a disciplined spell from Kenya's opening bowlers, as Pakistan reached the relative safety of 109 for 3 halfway through their innings after they had been reduced to 12 for 2 in the seventh over.
Thomas Odoyo and Elijah Otieno showed admirable control with the new ball, prising out Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad early, but the pressure was released by the Kenyan back-up bowlers, and a large total loomed before Kamran departed after he had registered a fluent fifty to lift Kenya once more.
Pakistan decided to bat first in order to give their batsmen some time in the middle and take advantage of a good batting strip with a dry tinge to it, Shahid Afridi had suggested at the toss, but they were soon under pressure as a transformed Kenyan unit landed the early blows.
Otieno, who conceded 18 runs in the two overs he bowled in the match against New Zealand at Chennai, provided the early breakthrough with a little help from Seren Waters in the field. Hafeez had looked to force a length delivery into the leg side but hit it uppishly and Waters, at straight midwicket, leapt to his left and managed to cling onto a juggled catch mere inches from the turf.
In the very next over Shehzad, who had scratched around for 17 balls that yielded just a single run, chipped a leading edge to give Jimmy Kamande a simple catch at mid-off and Pakistan were in some strife at 12 for 2. Kamran and Younis survived a few nervy moments, but as the shine came off the new ball and Odoyo and Otieno were taken off the pressure began to lift.
Nehemiah Odhiambo suffered a shambolic start to his spell as 16 runs came from a first over that included three no-balls, and with that Pakistan were up and running once more. Kamran proved the more fluent of the two early in his innings but Younis provided sensible support and, as the spinners came on, plenty of ones and twos were taken to keep the score ticking over.
Kamran eased past 50, from 62 balls, and looked set for plenty more before he charged down the wicket to left-arm spinner Shem Ngoche and was easily stumped. Kenya were buzzing again after the breakthrough, and have so far given a far better account of themselves than they had against New Zealand.
Pakistan: 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Kamran Akmal (wk), 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi (capt), 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Abdur Rehman, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Shoaib Akhtar
Kenya: 1 Seren Waters, 2 Maurice Ouma (wk), 3 Collins Obuya, 4 Tanmay Mishra, 5 Steve Tikolo, 6 Rakep Patel, 7 Jimmy Kamande (capt), 8 Thomas Odoyo, 9 Nehemiah Odhiambo, 10 Shem Ngoche, 11 Elijah Otieno
Liam Brickhill is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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