Date-stamped : 06 Dec96 - 14:16 Report- Dawn Saqlain spins N. Zealand to thrilling Pakistan win Ilyas Beg GUJRANWALA, Dec. 4: A brilliant sixth-wicket stand of 91 runs between skipper Wasim Akram and Salim Malik, which helped Pakistan bolster its innings and muster a good total of 228 for eight and thereafter career best bowling by Saqlain Mushtaq (five for 44) and devastating spell by Waqar Younis enabled the hosts to score a remarkable 11-run win against New Zealand in the first of the three-match one-day international series the Municipal Stadium on Wednesday. In fact, Pakistan's win was the result of an excellent team effort which nullified the heroic struggle by the Kiwis' four pacemen and medium-pacers and batsmen like Bryan young (58 with 3 fours), Adam Parore (35), Stephen Fleming and Chris Cairns (36 each). The New Zealand team was piped at the post as Saqlain Mushtaq broke the backbone of their batting. He claimed the prized wickets of Fleming, Nathan Astle (11), Chris Harris (6) and Captain Lee Germon (2). Pakistan's fielding also rose to the occasion as first Ejaz Ahmad ran out Spearman (6) early in the innings and thereafter Inzamam-ul-Haq accounted for Doull (0) with a direct throw. They made up with their excellent fielding although they had failed with the batting. Salim Malik played the role of a sheet-anchor after Saeed Anwar was run out, being engaged in a similar effort early in the innings. Salim Malik stayed at the crease till he ran out of partners and the 46 overs were completed. He hit a huge six and six delicately struck boundaries like a maestro, in his unbeaten knock of 73, which helped Pakistan reach 228 from a hopeless position. The team was five down for 71, and the top-order batting had completely flopped. He was deservedly declared Man-of-the-Match by a jury of experts although one felt sorry for Saqlain Mushtaq, who swung the game in Pakistan's favour after New Zealand had reached a comfortable total of 186 for six at one stage. But full marks should be given to Wasim Akram for his lusty hitting and astute bowling changes and captaincy in trying circumstances. He, along with Salim Malik, first had full measure of the Kiwi bowling and later electrified the strong 22,000 lovers of cricket in Gujranwala with his exhilarating batting. Wasim Akram hit unlucky Harris for two huge sixes - one straight over the bowler's head and the other over square-leg boundary. Wasim's third six was off the luckless Dipak Patel whom the left-hander hoisted straight over the sight-screen. It was an exciting knock by Wasim Akram, who was seen in full flow and reminded one of his aggressive knock in the Sheikhupura Test against Zimbabwe a few weeks ago. He gave the impression that he was going to repeat his great knock of 86 against Australia in the one-day international match at Melbourne in 1990-91, registered under highly trying circumstances. Incidentally, Pakistan could score 162 runs in that match and the other batsman to reach double figure was Salim Malik, who hit a useful 39. Wasim Akram also completed his 2000 runs in one-day international matches. He went for a lofted on-drive and was eventually caught by Dipak Patel at the boundary line to be sixth batsman out at the respectable total of 162. Wasim Akram also hit three boundaries in his praise-worthy knock of 52. Incidentally, Shahid Afridi started from where Wasim Akram left off. He hit Harris over the mid-wicket boundary for the fourth six of the Pakistan innings during his brief stay at the crease in which he scored 16 runs. He also hit a fine boundary. The New Zealand side was well served by first Bryan Young and Adam Parore, who added 78 runs for the second wicket partnership. Later Cairns and Fleming added 60 useful runs for the fourth wicket stands to take New Zealand score to 177. Waqar Younis looked unplayable during his second spell from the far end. He shattered the stumps of the dangerous-looking Young and later had Cairns caught by Moin to make dents in the New Zealand innings. Saqlain Mushtaq's bowling enticed the New Zealand batsmen to charge out and flounder. Two half-centuries in contrasting styles by the middle-order batsmen Salim Malik (73 not out) and Wasim Akram (52) helped Pakistan hit a respectable total of 228 for 8 in 46 overs. The top-order Pakistani batting once again failed. Had opener Saeed Anwar not tried hard to steady the Pakistan innings with a sedate knock of 27 on 38 balls in 76 minutes, the Pakistan team would have been in dire straits as it lost opener Zahoor Elahi (5), Ejaz Ahmad (8) and Moin Khan (3) very cheaply. Inzamam-ul-Haq chipped in with useful 14 runs before edging a gentle medium-pacer of Astle into the safe hands of wicketkeeper Lee Germon. Captain Wasim Akram, who came back to lead the team after missing both the Tests against New Zealand due to shoulder pain, won the toss in the morning and opted to bat first on a pitch tailor-made for batting. The decision looked debatable as the Kiwi pacemen proved by having the Pakistan team in deep trouble early in the innings. They exploited early moisture in the pitch and stiff breeze very intelligently to have the Pakistani batsmen in tangles. While Saeed Anwar kept one end blocked for some time and also hit two excellent boundaries, two wickets fell at the other end. The match began late due to problem of the sun disturbing the batsmen. The match had to be reduced to 46-overs-a-side. The luckless Zahoor Elahi was first batsman out. At the total of 14, Zahoor Elahi edged a rising outswinger from Robert Kennedy into the breeze from the pavilion end very intelligently. Simon Doull bowled from the far end and claimed the scalp of Ejaz Ahmad at the total of 19. Ejaz mistimed Doull's delivery and Harris held a good catch at point. Saeed Anwar's resistance came to an end after he had put on 41 useful runs for the third wicket partnership. Earlier, Saeed had been dropped by young in the second slip at the total of 49. Chris Harris ran out Saeed Anwar with a direct throw as the batsman tried to steal a cheeky single. Saeed completed 4000 runs in one-day internationals. Pakistan's total moved one run forward when Inzamam-ul-Haq also left. The tall and well-built batsman has been struggling to find his touch after a knee operation in Canada soon after the Sahara Cup one-day international series against India. He snicked a delivery from Astle into the safe hands of wicketkeeper Lee Germon. To make things worse for Pakistan, Moin Khan, who has been batting brilliantly in crisis and has pulled the team out of trouble with his brave knocks on many occasions, also failed at Gujranwala. He was caught by Fleming off Chris Cairns after contributing only three runs. The fifth Pakistani wicket fell at the total of 71. Source:: Dawn (http://xiber.com/dawn/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)