HARARE: Half-centuries by Haseebullah, Imran Butt and Omair Bin Yousuf and three-fers from Qasim Akram and Shahnawaz Dahani helped Pakistan Shaheens beat Zimbabwe Select by 177 runs in the fifth one-day of the sixth-match series at the Harare Sports Club in Harare.
This was Shaheens’ second win in the one-day series as the hosts lead the series 3-2. The final match of the series will be played at the same venue on Saturday, 27 May.
Chasing 315 to win, the hosts were never in a position to win the game as they continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and were dismissed for 137 in 31.4 overs. Only wicketkeeper-batter Clive Madande top-scored for his side, scoring an unbeaten 41 off 46, hitting five fours.
For Shaheens, right-arm fast Dahani and right-arm off-spinner Qasim bagged three wickets each. Left-arm spinner Mehran Mumtaz took two wickets for 36 from seven overs.
Earlier, after being put into bat, Shaheens scored 314 for six in their allotted 50 overs. Making three changes to their side in the must-win game, Shaheens got off to a great start as opening batters Imran Butt (64, 65b, 7x4s, 1×6) and Haseebullah (62, 77b, 9x4s) had a 139-run stand between them. After the departure of Haseebullah and Imran in the 24th over, Omair and Rohail Nazir stitched a 55-run partnership for the third wicket.
Soon after Rohail’s (16, 24b, 1×4) departure, Shaheens lost three wickets for 32 runs as they were in a spot of bother with 250 for six in 42.3 overs. At that crucial juncture, well-settled Omair was joined by Aamir Jamal and the pair knitted an unbroken 64 runs for the seventh wicket.
Player of the match Omair continued his rich vein of form with an undefeated 89 off 87 deliveries, having already amassed two centuries and a half-century on the tour before today’s match. Aamir played a bright cameo as he scored an unbeaten 24 off 18 balls, hitting two fours and a six.
For Zimbabwe Select, Brandon Mavuta took two wickets for 39 from eight overs.
