Hafeez 71 helped as Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 85 runs

Tags: Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe 2011, Zimbabwe v Pakistan 1st T20i at Harare Sports Club - Sep 16, 2011, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Mohammad Hafeez, Pak vs Zim 1st T20, Pak vs Zim 1st T20 Result

Published on: Sep 17, 2011

Scorecard | Commentary | Graphs

Pakistan stamped their authority over Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Friday, winning the first of two Twenty20 matches by a huge 85 runs.

Pakistan stamped their authority over Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Friday, winning the first of two Twenty20 matches by a huge 85 runs.

Mohammad Hafeez was the star of the show, scoring 71 before taking four wickets.

Pakistan raced to 198 for four - a record against Zimbabwe - with the highest previously set by South Africa with 194-6 at Kimberley last year.

Then they bundled out Zimbabwe for 113 in the 16th over, condemning the home side to a fifth successive loss to the tourists, who also won the one-off Test as well as three one-day internationals.

"Everyone is taking up their responsibility. Especially Hafeez, the way he's gone. AsadShafiq too played very well," said Pakistan skipper MisbahUlHaq.

"We just wanted the top order to play normal cricketing shots, and that's just what they did. The credit for the fielding goes to both coaches. Everyone understands how important this aspect of the game is these days, and the boys have worked hard to get to this level."

Brendan Taylor won the toss for Zimbabwe and put Pakistan into bat. Hafeez and AsadShafiq responded by racing to 34 in three overs and the tone was set with 10 boundaries struck off the first 27 balls.

Shafiq's 38 came off 34 balls and man-of-the-match Hafeez's 71 required only 48.

Near the end of the innings, when Pakistan were attempting to clear the 200 mark, SohailTanveer hit five balls off the last over available to him for 15 runs.

Zimbabwe were never going to get close to the 199 set to them for victory, and apart from ChamuChibhabha's 28 and Charles Coventry's 30, there was next to no resistance.

The home side found themselves at two down for 13 and then 37 for three with the match already wrapped by MisbahUlHaq's side. Opener VusiSibanda's dismissal came from a wonderful overhead catch by Misbah, while the run-out of TatendaTaibu by Hafeez was remarkable for speed and throwing accuracy.

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