Friday, February 5, 2010

Kamran Akmal was the top scorer from Pakistan. He made 64 from 33 balls

Posted on 8:53 PM by Latest News

MELBOURNE: Australia completed a summer clean-sweep of Pakistan as a fired-up fast bowler Shaun Tait sent the tourists home with one last defeat in the Twenty20 International clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here on Friday night.Pakistan were a different outfit in the field and with the ball in rolling the home side for 127, but their batting fell the same way it did in the three Tests and five one-dayers as Australia fought back for a two-run win.Left-arm paceman Dirk Nannes and Shane Watson bowled brilliantly at the death and conceded nine runs in the final two overs as Pakistan finished 125-9, even though Mohammad Asif hit the last ball for four.Tait, the Man-of-the-Match, was the star with 3-11 after he began the innings with a 156 km/h opener, hit 160.7 with the third delivery and claimed a wicket in his second over.Tait also struck in his third over and when his skipper Michael Clarke needed one last effort in the 15th over, he removed the dangerous Kamran Akmal, whose 64 from 33 balls had the tourists headed for a breakthrough win.Watson landed the death blow at the start of the final over, when Umar Akmal (21) holed out to long-on, as Pakistan began the over needing 10 runs to win, again falling short to end a dismal tour.Australia's win was their first in three attempts in this format over Pakistan, the reigning world champions, and will provide encouragement ahead of the next world championships, in the Caribbean starting in April.Australia staged a strong comeback given they lost 73-9 and were all out in the 19th over and only Clarke (32), David Warner (24) and David Hussey (40 not out) reached double figures.The innings never really fired against some good bowling from Umar Gul (3-20) and acting Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik (2-31) and sharp fielding, which included three run-outs.But Australia were even better with the ball, as besides Tait, Nannes, Watson and Mitchell Johnson all bowled timely maidens and Nannes conceded just two runs in the penultimate over.Watson finished with 2-24 and leg-spinner Steven Smith took 2-34 on international debut, wickets in his third and fourth overs giving his side the ascendancy.Umar Gul (10) was the only Pakistan batsman to reach double figures behind the Akmals, but his inability to get Nannes away in the 19th over was costly.The crowd of 60,054 was the biggest of the season.

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