Cricket: Pakistan bowlers rip through Wellington in tour match

By MARK GEENTY

Pakistan's pacemen conspired to cause a second Basin Reserve batting collapse in four days as they beat Wellington by 34 runs in their one-day cricket tour match here today.

Just days after Shoaib Akhtar ripped through New Zealand's middle order in a test series-winning spell here, seasoned allrounders Azhar Mahmood and Abdul Razzaq repeated the lethal dose of reverse swing in their only shakedown for Saturday's first one-day international at Auckland's Eden Park.

Having set Wellington 259 to win on the same strip used for the second test, Mahmood and Razzaq sparked a collapse of six for 19 as they reduced Wellington from 192 for two in the 34th over to 224 all out off 44.1 overs.

Mahmood, in his first match of the tour, took four for 41 off 10 overs while Razzaq took four for 33 off 10.

Both generated sharp reverse swing with the old ball.

Wellington were cruising in their pursuit after unwanted New Zealand opener Chris Nevin and Grant Donaldson gave them a flying start against new ball duo Umar Gul and Shabbir Ahmed.

The pair added 91 off the first 14 overs in the absence of rested speedsters Akhtar and Mohammad Sami, with Donaldson cracking 47 off 46 balls.

Nevin, overlooked in favour of Craig Cumming for the one-day series, anchored the run chase with a typically hard-hit 80 off 109 balls, including seven fours.

But his dismissal in the 34th over, caught at cover by Younis Khan off Mahmood, sparked the collapse.

Mahmood had Matthew Bell and Matthew Walker caught behind in the same over before Razzaq uprooted James Franklin's middle stump then removed Michael Parlane and Mayu Pasupati in the 39th over to make it 203 for eight.

Pakistan coach Javed Miandad was in high spirits and predicted a tough job to select a team for Saturday's match.

"It was very good preparation for the one-day international, there are several players in consideration like Younis Khan and Salim Elahi who both got runs," he said.

"It's very good if you have a party of 17 and they all are in form, it's good for the team and you don't have to worry about anybody. You can take a chance with anybody."

Miandad also rested captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and vice-captain Yousuf Youhana, with Moin Khan taking over the captaincy and snaring three catches.

Younis Khan led the way with the bat, scoring 63 off 78 balls to revive the innings from 128 for five, while the freescoring Salim Elahi scored 40 off 54 balls.

Wellington left-arm spinner Luke Woodcock, who was making his first class one-day debut, took four for 38 off 10 overs including the key early wickets of Imran Farhat and Elahi.

- NZPA