Ghulam maiden ton, bowlers help Pakistan seal series

Kamran Ghulam celebrates his maiden ODI century • Associated Press

Bulawayo, November 28:

Pakistan 303 for 6 (Ghulam 103, Shafique 50, Raza 2-47) beat Zimbabwe 204 (Ervine 51, Bennett 37, Ayub 2-29) by 99 runs

Kamran Ghulam's maiden ODI hundred and a clinical bowling performance saw Pakistan ease to a 99-run win in Bulawayo. The victory sees Pakistan seal the series 2-1, their second consecutive come-from-behind ODI series win after similar success in Australia earlier this month.

Pakistan posted 303 after a steady start from the openers, with Abdullah Shafique scoring his fifth half-century, while sloppiness at the death from Zimbabwe helped Pakistan plunder 69 from the final five overs. In response, there was limited substantive resistance aside from a Craig Ervine half-century, and with no one else able to push on, Pakistan continued to strengthen their position until the target became unassailable, with the innings wrapped up in 40.1 overs.

While rain had been forecast for today, the skies were clear when Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat. While they didn't quite motor along at the lightning pace they had set on Tuesday, Saim Ayub and Shafique got Pakistan off to a brisk start, bringing up the 50-partnership inside 11 overs. But Ayub fell soon after miscuing his trademark shot as he picked Faisal Akram up over deep backward square leg, straight to Clive Madande on the boundary.

Ghulam was uncertain early on, nearly chipping one straight back to Sean Williams off his eighth ball. When Williams dragged one down the following over, though, Ghulam walloped it over deep midwicket for six, and that seemed to free him up. Alongside Shafique, he helped Pakistan tick over at a steady, if unspectacular rate, and the 100 came up in 22 overs. Sikandar Raza broke that stand soon after, though, trapping Shafique in front as he miscued his sweep, right after he got to his half-century.

Rizwan and Ghulam combined to put together the largest partnership of the innings, but even as conditions for batting flattened out, the anticipated uptick in the scoring rate did not follow. Rizwan, in particular, coasted at a strike rate of just over 50 off his first 25 balls, leaving Ghulam to push through the gears. He took a liking to Brian Bennett, forcing him out of the attack after taking 27 off his two overs. Zimbabwe reigned the visitors back again with Williams and Akram before Raza got his side the breakthrough. Rizwan had lofted him for six over long-on off a miscue, and when he tried it again off the next delivery, Dion Myers had a simple catch.

Ghulam, by now, was powering along to three figures. Akram was dispatched for successive boundaries before a long hop from Raza was put away to midwicket to bring up the ton. Zimbabwe were finally threatening to accelerate but Richard Ngarava removed Ghulam straight after in an attempt to peg them back again.

It was the 46th over that the wheels finally came off for Zimbabwe. The Akram over saw six wides, a no-ball, two fours and a six as 23 came off it, and Pakistan suddenly eyed 300. Even Blessing Muzarabani wasn't spared, taken for 24 in his final two overs as Pakistan eked over the 300 mark, taking all the momentum with them to the break.

Pakistan needed to wait till just the third over to strike, doing so twice in Ayub's over. Joylord Gumbie and Myers each holed out in an attempt to keep the run rate up, and it was an approach Zimbabwe persisted with even as wickets fell at regular intervals.

Tadiwanashe Marumani didn't last long but was belligerent as long as he did, and was unfortunate to be given out leg before off Abrar Ahmed with the ball likely going down leg. Sean Williams picked up the run-scoring baton briefly, taking the attack to Agha Salman and Abrar after the end of the first powerplay, while Ervine slapped Haris Rauf for a pair of boundaries in what emerged as a menacing partnership for Pakistan.

But, like every Zimbabwean partnership, it ended much too soon to allow them to build any real pressure. Williams was done by extra pace from Haris as he chopped on, and it would mark the start of a Zimbabwean slide.

The biggest scare Pakistan got was from suddenly converging clouds before the 20th over had been bowled, but on the pitch, wickets were beginning to fall in clusters. Zimbabwe were still picking up boundaries just about every over, with Ervine bringing up his half-century with a miscued sweep off Faisal Akram.

But the end was nigh for him. He was reprieved when Tayyab Tahir shelled the simplest chance at midwicket, but Aamer Jamal would not be denied, inducing him into dragging on a short delivery later in the over. He backed it up by dismissing Raza in his following over, Zimbabwe looked to be at the receiving end of a huge defeat.

Those blushes were spared somewhat by an entertaining onslaught from Bennett, who took on the spinners with great successive in an exciting cameo that kept the Bulawayo faithful engaged. It wouldn't last, though, and when he miscued off Abrar Ahmed following a 27-ball 37, any realistic hopes the hosts harboured were gone.

Clive Madande and Ngarava soldiered on for a bit, and ensured Zimbabwe crossed 200 and kept the defeat to two figures. But Pakistan would not be denied an emphatic win, Faisal Akram and Rauf removing the last two off consecutive balls either side of the 40th over to make victory official.