RAWALPINDI, 19 September 2003 — Yousuf Youhanna scored an unbeaten 94 to lead Pakistan to five-wicket win with one ball to spare in the fourth one-day international against Bangladesh yesterday. Youhanna hit five fours and one six to follow scores of 49, 106 and 65 in the first three matches of the five-game series, all of which Pakistan won.
His innings kept Bangladesh waiting for their first one-day international win since the 1999 World Cup when they beat Pakistan. Since then Bangladesh have lost 41 out of 43 matches, with two no-results.
Bangladesh elected to bat first yesterday and recovered from a slow start to finish on a respectable 222 for eight in 50 overs. Pakistan made 226 for five off 49.5 overs. Youhanna said: “I never thought at any stage that Bangladesh could win this one. I didn’t panic. I had made up my mind to stay there till the end.”
But he added: “Bangladesh have improved their fielding dramatically and they make things difficult for the batsmen. They defended well.” Youhanna controlled the innings after Bangladesh paceman Tapash Baisya had toppled openers Mohammad Hafeez (9) and Imran Nazir (28) in the first 10 overs.
But Pakistan, struggling to find the boundary, still needed 17 off 17 balls and then seven off the last over. With the scores level, Youhanna hit the fifth ball from Baisya for a four to long on to finish with a flourish. Earlier, four of the top Bangladesh batsmen got decent scores, including Rajin Saleh (47), but were unable to force the pace and build a big innings. The fifth and final match is on Sunday in Karachi.
South Africa to Go
Ahead With Pakistan Tour
South Africa will go ahead with their tour of Pakistan on condition that the country’s authorities follow their stated security plan, the United Cricket Board (UCB) said yesterday. The tour, which starts next week, was in jeopardy after the UCB asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to amend the itinerary following advice from the South African government not to send the team to Karachi and Peshawar, two cities viewed as potential security risks.
The PCB refused and a UCB security delegation visited Pakistan to assess player safety. A joint media release from the UCB and the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) said the decision to tour had been taken after a meeting of the two organizations, team members, management and the security delegation. “Following these discussions, the UCB and SACA are pleased to confirm that the South African team will indeed depart for Pakistan on Sunday,” the release said. “The UCB has emphasized, however, that the continuation of the tour is specifically conditional upon the Pakistan authorities in fact implementing their stated security plan on an ongoing basis and also upon the security risk in Pakistan not escalating to the extent that it is unacceptable.”
The PCB had promised the South Africans the same level of security as that afforded to visiting heads of state. PCB Chairman Tauqir Zia said he was thankful to the South Africans for trusting his country. “This is great news for Pakistan cricket and the Pakistani people,” Zia said in a statement.
Tendulkar Flays India
Teammates in Trial Match
Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar yesterday punished his India teammates with a gutsy 94 in a major first-class match ahead of next month’s Test series against New Zealand. Tendulkar, playing his first big domestic game in three years, delighted a sizeable crowd at his favorite Chepauk ground in Madras to pull national champions Bombay out of trouble against Rest of India in the Irani Cup match.
Bombay recovered from 98-5 to reach 272-9 at stumps on the opening day of the five-day game against a virtual India attack that included spinners Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble and left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan, who ended the day as the most successful bowler with 5-75 off 20 overs.
Sussex Lift First County
Title, Goodwin hits 335
Sussex clinched their first English county championship title at the 103rd attempt when they reached 302 for two yesterday in the first innings of their final match of the season against Leicestershire.
Zimbabwean batsman Murray Goodwin struck the boundary that took Sussex past 300 and up to six bonus points for the match at Hove, ending the hopes of Lancashire, their only remaining rivals for the title.
Goodwin went on to make a record unbeaten 335 in Sussex’s massive 614 for four declared. At the close, the visitors were 38 for two in their second innings, still trailing by 397. Goodwin’s score was the highest by an individual for Sussex since the club was founded in 1864, edging past the previous best of 333 set by K.S. Duleepsinhji in 1930. Goodwin’s runs came in eight hours from 390 balls and included 52 fours and a six. “There’s been a lot of pressure on us but the lads have come through and I’m just really, really pleased,” Sussex director of cricket Peter Moores told Sky Sports News.
