Official SCORE thread: VB Series Final no. 1 [4/02/05]

[Guest]

Another square cut from Malik but ponting with more good fielding keeping pressure on Pakistan.

44-4 after 17

 

[Raz]

Run rate almost 6. They goin about it the right way though. Singles and twos will do for now. Inzi, Malik, Razzaq, Afridi and Rana cann all hit big shots so its ok i guess. They should however keep one eye on the run rate.

 

[Guest]

Pitch seems to have a bit of uneven bounce now and again, the bowl to Yohanna by Lee kept low.

Now ball darts up from a good length to Inzy, who plays it really well riding with the ball and playing it down.

 

[Guest]

53-4 after 20 overs.

crucial time with 5th bowler coming on to bowl, Lehman bowling before Symonds.

 

[Raz]

They need to target Symonds and Lehmann. Perfect time to accelerate a little bit to bring it back under 6.

 

[Raz]

12 from that one. Good over.

 

[Guest]

Huge six from Malik down the wicket to Lehman over long on.

93-4

Good partnership

 

[Guest]

Lehamn and Symonds 5 overs going for 37 !!!

Pakistan need more of this.

Symonds turns to medium pace now.

Only concern is running between the wickets from Inzy.

 

[kashmiri]

inzi and shooaib have stabilised the pak innings. we are i with a good chance now.

i hope this schmuks on I** are watching the match and eating their hearts out

 

[Guest]

Another 50 in the tournament for Inzy

115-4

Pakistan back in the game now.

123 to win from 111

 

[Guest]

Inzy caught down on the boudary by Fine Leg, tight few overs from Lee and Symonds causing downfall.

Inzy gone for 51, just when Pakistan were getting back on top.

118-5

 

[Raz]

Razzaq in now i think. All isnt lost yet for Pakistan. These two can carry them through all the way.

 

[sajjad]

can pakistan still do it

Razzaq, Malik and The Afridi will have to do really well

 

[Raz]

Run rate startin to rocket! Up to 7.42!

 

[Oxy]

Razzak run out- radio guys ripping into this poor run

 

[Raz]

Disgraceful running between wickets today! It has been edgy all day!

 

[Raz]

Can someone tell the radio guys they are making their bias towards Australia far too obvious!

 

[sajjad]

it was brought abt by 4 dot balls to malik

they wanted a run somehow and chose the wrong fielder

 

[sajjad]

Pakistans chances minimal even with a well set Malik and inform Afridi batting out there

 

[Raz]

Malik's running between the wickets has been dreadful today particularly the calling. Nearly ran Afridi out there!

 

[Raz]

Malik gone! Poor shot goin for 1 shot 2 many! Pakistan staring down the barrel!

 

[sajjad]

smart bowling from gillispie really

we needed the runs
he kept calm, cramped malik for room

and malik fell dismally

 

[sajjad]

Pakistan may lose by a big margin if another wicket falls here
match is pretty much over

but with Pakistan u never know

 

[Raz]

Well im still not gonna give in yet. Rana needs to support Afridi. If Pakistan ever needed Afridi to play an innings its now!

 

[sajjad]

my wishes r with Pakistan
but they've dissappointed me with the bat today

made 237 look like a mammoth total due to a careless start

 

[Raz]

Shahid takes Watson to the cleaners with a HUGE six!

 

[Raz]

And again!

 

[Raz]

And with those sixes Shahid takes the record of scoring the most number of sixes ever in One Day cricket! Well done Shahid bhai!

 

[sajjad]

kiya marta hai yaar
amazing hits

world record holder afridi now

 

[sajjad]

aussie tactics work

top edge
balls swings around for a while
good catch by katich

 

[sajjad]

The Afridi cudnt stop being who he is.
We only needed singles and so on
the diff between balls remaining and runs to get was just 5-6

he went for a bit too much but that The Afridi

 

[Sid9999]

Afridi throws away the match... by playing an irresponsible shot...

 

[Raz]

Lets not blame Afridi. Again the openers let us down! Kamran shouldnt open! They need a proper opener like Yasir. Hafeez OUT! Absolutely useless he is!

 

[sajjad]

he got us into the match in the first place, so cannot really put the blame on him.

Its Butt, Akmal n Hafeez who need to work it out cause they threw it out.

 

[sajjad]

50 from 42

why did we lose so many wickets
this is so gettable????

 

[Raz]

Yeah. I dont no why they brought Hafeez back in. The team which played in the last few matches was fine. Why change it?!?!?! Where is the continuity?!

Akmal hasnt convinced me enough to maintain the opening. Against good attacks like Australia he has been exposed badly. We need to sort the top three positions out before the India series!

 

[Raz]

It baffles me as to how we struggled to chase 237 especially after chasing much bigger totals in previous matches!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sajjad]

yeah we continue to have problems at the top

in the past 2 matches the middle order saved us
today they didnt quite so were in this position

they need to work it out at the top

 

[Sid9999]

Afridi had already got the run-rate under control, by hitting two sixes... all he needed was to rotate the strike and stay at the crease... pick ones and twos alongwith an odd boundry... but NO..NO NO!!!! he had to go for "glory"...

 

[Raz]

Dont blame The Afridi man! It was losing them wickets early on that really cost us!

 

[sajjad]

The Afridi got us into the match with the 2 wickets he took.

Our top order lost it for us.
We never recovered from that.

 

[sajjad]

ill be a lot happier
if mcgrath gets hit for a few here

 

[Sid9999]

My point is... inspite of those early wickets... match was under Afridi's control... but he still throws away...

 

[sajjad]

it really wasn't

beside The Afridi is not ur normal batsmen. He has his way of batting and he should be allowed to play in his own way.

 

[Raz]

Just like at Birmingham last year aainst India they made a hash of chasing 201. Ok it didnt matter because eventually they came through. In that match they lost 3 early wickets. Same happened in this match!

 

[sajjad]

except that was India this is AUSTRALIA

 

[badxhah]

the BW jinx. he made SA into choker and i m jus begining to imagine Pakistan is also having the same bug.

I hope i m wrong

 

[Sid9999]

The Afridi is not ur normal batsmen. He has his way of batting and he should be allowed to play in his own way.

That is exactly my point... the team is more important than anything else... your own style of batting or bowling... it doesnot matter... u have to adapt according to situation... but not Afridi/Akhtar... Inzamam/YoYo changes their game according to the need of the team

 

[sajjad]

we never really got close enuf to choke.
we just got beat by some outstanding opening spell

 

[badxhah]

its not far or close thing its jus choking on big matches.

 

[badxhah]

Afridi did his job ,,aya mara or gaya

if he started playin like a normal batsman then he would not be called "the afridi" he would be called SIR "THE AFRIDI"

 

[pakistani_cricketer]

salam
y cant THE AFRIDI KHAN stay on the crease for a little while more??????
y cant he make runs at a faster run rate for a longer period than bat well and the get out after 12 or 15 balls ?????

 

[tahaqureshi]

rana batted well...
29 runs off 29balls i think

 

[Sid9999]

what rana did... that kind of thing was required from Afridi...

 

[badxhah]

good point sid 9999 if he only stuck ard wid rana like razzaq did in WACA.

But ,,,,,, i dont wana say anything eles otherwise i would have lot of hatters on this forum