LAHORE, Pakistan, 2 December 2003 — Young fast bowler Muhammad Sami destroyed New Zealand with five wickets in 11 balls to give Pakistan a 124-run win in the second One-Day International to take a 2-0 lead in the series yesterday.
The 22-year-old from Karachi recorded five for 10 in 7.5 overs to bowl out New Zealand for 157 in 38.5 overs in reply to Pakistan’s total of 281 for six.
The depleted New Zealand side lost their last six wickets for just two runs and in 17 balls. Sami said he was satisfied with his performance as he had been struggling for a while.
Bowling with pace and making the ball reverse swing in the foggy and cold conditions, he mopped up the innings in the 36th and 38th overs by dismissing Jacob Oram, Tama Canning, Daniel Vettori and Paul Hitchcock in six balls and then Brendon McCullum. New Zealand captain Chris Cairns said: “I am disappointed at the way we lost today. We were more competitive in the first match. We need to focus on the next match and win it.” However, he paid tribute to Sami and described him as a great talent for Pakistan.
“I am very impressed with Sami. He bowled a good line and length,” he said. “But I don’t think that we are out of the series.”
India Escape Humiliation Against Queensland Part-Timers
In Sydney, India held out for a draw yesterday after being given a fright by an inexperienced Queensland Academy of Sport line-up.
Set a near-impossible 305 to win in two sessions, the Indians crawled to 121 for four when the captains agreed to an early finish.
The Academy, made up of mainly part-time players with little first-class experience, declared at lunch on 208 for six with Lee Carseldine 109 not out, to go with his first-innings hundred.
India play Australia in the first starting at the Gabba on Thursday and Academy captain Aaron Nye predicted the tourists would struggle.
“You could see that they want to compete, which is pretty important, but they’re going to have to go the next notch up...because the Australian team don’t give you an inch to move,” Nye said.
“We worked out we probably didn’t lose a session at all. In general we felt we were pretty much on top.”
With 60 overs available, the Indians used their time to get some valuable batting practice.
They looked in trouble when they lost Virender Sehwag, Akash Chopra and Deep Dasgupta cheaply to slump to 32 for three.
But Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly and Sadagoppan Ramesh steadied the ship with a 57-run stand.
