Zimbabwe, Pakistan tie abandoned due to rain

SANJAY GOEL
Correspondent | Thursday November 11, 2010 00:00

Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat for the third successive game.

The Asians were off to a fluent start scoring 48 runs off the first eight overs. Zimbabwean opening bowlers Trymore Taruvinga and Elvis Chipfumba were both unlucky as they got rid of both the Pakistani openers, Shahbaz Ali and Aqlaq Raja, but they had bowled no balls.

Reginald Nehonde put the brakes on the Pakistani batting with his wily off-breaks as his four overs fetched 10 runs and in the process got rid of Ali, caught by Zemba for 11 runs.

At the end of the 15th over, Pakistan had reached 77-1.

The Pakistan innings continued to centre around Aqlaq Raja who was batting with elegance. He found partners in Ali Ejaz (18), Manzoor Hussein (14) and Hassan Siddiqui (7) and took the score to 149 in the 26th over, when he was caught by Adam off Chipfumba for a well made 69 off 78 balls which included seven fours.

Captain Hega Isheunesu bought himself back into the attack in the 27th over and got rid of Siddiqui, Zain Abbasi and Sabir Amin to notch the first hat-trick of the tournament this year.  He finished with bowling figures of 5-0-27-3 while Innocent Chando (2/28), Orbet Musiyamhanje (2/37) and Nehonde (1/15) shared the remaining wickets. Pakistan was all out for 168 in the 30th over.

Just as the Zimbabweans were preparing to start the innings, a heavy downpour led to the covers being called.

After inspection, umpires Ravi Angara and Vivek Kohli declared the game drawn due to unplayable conditions.

Match summary:

Pakistan: 168 all out (30 overs)

Zimbabwe: Did not bat

Result: Match abandoned due to rain; Match Drawn.

Man of the Match: Aqlaq Raja (by Match Referee Kashif Amin).