In-focus

Cricket

Pakistan beat Zimbabwe in 2nd T20 by 2 wickets

Dunya News

Pakistan chased down the targets with 2 balls to spare.

Thats it folks, Pakistan has won the match. Another thriller and a nail biter. Team Pakistan never fails to deliver suspense. Kudos Bilawal Bhatti for his onslaught at the death of the innings to secure the result for the team.

2243 hours: Mukhtar Ahmed has won the Man of Match award and Man of Series award as well! Brilliant knocks in both matches.

19.4 overs: FOUR! Pakistan wins! What a strike Bilawal Bhatti. What a finish to the T20 series.

19.1 overs: SIX! Bilawal hits one over deep backward square leg. Only 6 required off 5 balls.

16.5 overs: OUT! Chris Mpofu gets Umar Akmal out. Pakistan in trouble. Akmal goes after making 30 off 21 balls. Mpofu celebrating wicket while on being ground.

16 overs: Pakistan 144-5, Umar Akmal(24) and Muhammad Rizwan(2) at crease.

An interesting tweet reads:
 

 

 

14.3 overs: Muhammad Rizwa arrives on crease. Pakistan 130-9.

14.2 overs: OUT! Quintessential Afridi, out after a 6.

 

 

 

Afridi comes out to the crease. Stadium echoing  boom boom . Will Afridi deliver?
 

 

 

13.3 overs: OUT! Mukhar perishes after holing the ball at long off. A good innings come to an end. Mukhtar 62 off 40 balls.

12 overs: 106-3. Mukhtar Ahmed gets to his fifty. 2nd consecutive 50 on trot.

11 overs: Pakistan 98-3.

10.4 overs: OUT! Malik caught out of crease by Prosper Utseya. Run out. Umar Akmal arrives at the crease.

10 overs: 92-2. Shoaib Malik and Mukhtar on crease.

8.3 overs: OUT! Nauman Anwar gets 18 off 10 balls before getting dismissed. Pakistan 84-2. Malik arrives on crease. A tweep shared the following:

 

 

8.0 overs: Brutal hitting in last overs. Two 6s and one 4 to end an expensive over.

Both playes on crease from Pakistan s domestice team Sialkot Stallion.

 

 

 

7 overs: 61-1. Prosper Utseya bowling from over the wicket.

4.5 overs: OUT! Ahmed Shehzad miscues the ball, gets caught at mid on. Pakistan 44-1. Vusi Sibanda catches it.

4 overs: 40-0. Ahmed Shehzad struggling to break free. 14 off 12 balls.

Match attended by high-profile politicans as well. CM KP and Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf join the ranks of the crowd:

 

 

 

3 overs: 32-0, 10+ run rate by Pakistan courtesy Mukhtar Ahmed who has scored 20 runs on 10 balls.

What an atmosphere in the ground. A fan shows a sign telling the international cricketing community that Pakistan is safe for resumption of international cricket:


2 overs: Mukhtar Ahmed thrashing the bowler for 3 fours during the last over. Pakistan 15-0.

1.3 overs: Crowd chanting  selfie selfie  as Ahmed Shehzad comes onto the strike. 

 

Fans from all over the country have arrived as #CricketComesHome

 

 

 

1 over(s): 3-0, good bowling by Mpofu.

0.4 overs: What a miscue by Mukhtar, lucky to get an extra life as ball falls short of the fielder. 3-0 in 4 balls.

0.0 overs: Proceedings underway as Mukhtar Ahmed and Ahmed Shehzad come to the crease. First ball of the innings to be bowled by Chris Mpofu.

20.0 overs: 175-3. Take a bow Zimbabwe. 8.8 runs per over required to chase the total.

19.1 overs: OUT! Caught in the deep by Malik, Elton Chigumbura goes after a blazing innings.

19 overs: 168-2. Afridi bowls a miserly over to end the spell. Zimbabwe will look to consolidate score.

18 overs: 164-2. Zimbabwe looking to score a big total here. Afridi s last over of the innings.

A tweep shares a light tweet:

 

 

17.4 overs: Sami has been taken to the cleaner by Elton Chigumbura. What a thrashing. Sami looks clueless.

16.4 overs: OUT! Bowled Afridi caught Anwar Ali. He juggles it once, twice and thrice before catching it.

15 overs: 125-1. Expensive last 2 overs. Zimbabwe looks set to score 180 at this rate.

14 overs: Zimbabwe 115-1. Batsmen look fully set on the crease. A tweep expresses his disatisfaction:

 

 


 

 

13.4 overs: Sean William hits Anwar Ali for 2 consecutive fours. One on leg other on off-side. Sean William on 29 off 15 balls.

12 overs: Anwar Ali reintroduced into the attack. Gets hit for a four but overall a good over. Zimbabwe 100-0.

A tweep just posted a very interesting fact. No speed gun for match.

 

 

 

11 overs: Vusi Sibanda lashes out at ball in vain as Malik keeps tight line and length. Malik 2 overs, 8 runs and a wicket.

 Pakistani fans right now:

 

 

10 overs: 83-1. Afridi taken for plenty. 13 runs off the last over including two 4s on the last 2 balls.

 

 

 

9.2 overs: Nasty collision between Malik and Sami. Both on ground right now as Malik tried to stop the ball in the outfield.

8.2 overs: OUT! Malik breaks the partnership once again. Raging Masakdza holed out at long on. Anwar Ali takes the catch. Zimbabwe 68/1.

8 overs: Tight bowling by the skipper.6 runs off the over. Shoaib Malik introduced the attack.

7 overs: 59-0. Vusi Sibanda takes on the bowler for a six over bowlers head on the last ball. Afridi introduced to the attack. Crowd chants  boom boom .

 

Excellent fielding by the young keeper, a tweep s take:

 

 

6.1 overs: 50 runs partnership between the openers. Zimbabwe 52-0.

5.4 overs: Bilawal Bhatti under pressure for straying in line and length. Wide ball. Hammered for four on the last ball.

5.2 overs: Hamilton Masakdza playing with full face of the bat. Certainly carrying the form from the last match to the next one.

5 overs: 39-0, Masakadza on song.

4.2 overs: Pakistan s record in T20 Internationals so far.

4 overs: Zimbabwe 33-0. 3 bowlers used up by Pakistan so far. Debutant Imad Wasim comes out bowl. Slow left arm, over the wicket. A spectator in crowd carries a beautiful message: 

 

 

 

3.1 overs: Hamilton Masakdza bludeons the ball, Afridi stops it successfully. Injures his hand in the process.

2.3 overs: Bilawal Bhatti introduced into the attack. Gets  attacked  by the batsman instead. Three 4s off 3 balls.

2 overs: 13-0. Sami s outswingers leave the batsman slightly as Zimbabwean openers try to slog unsuccessfully.

1.0 overs: Zimbabwe 8-0. Sami comes out to bowl the 2nd over.

0.5 overs: Shoaib Malik nearly latches onto a screamer. Vusi Sibanda gets another life. Exiciting first over.

1858 hours: First ball about to be bowled. Openers Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza have come out to open batting for Zimbabwe.

1842 hours: Debutant recieves his first cap. Congragulations from senior players.

1835 hours: Changes in the Pakistani squad has been announced for the match: Imad Wasim, Nauman Anwar and Mohammad Rizwan in for Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz and Sarfraz Ahmed. 

1833 hours: Zimbabwe has won the toss and elected to bat first.

1824 hours: Rameez Raja gives the match report. Conditions tough for the bowlers, he says. Win the toss and elect to bat first is the advice to the captains.

1700 hours: Pakistani and Zimbabwean team have reached the ground for the match.