February 10
PAKISTAN SQUEEZE PAST KENYAN WARRIORS
Pakistan beat Kenya in a last over thriller in Rawalpindi in the second game of the Cricket World Cup. Kenyan captain Steve Tikolo won the toss and elected to bat first, and his opening batsmen - Collins Obuya and Kennedy Hall - saw off the opening bowling of Umar Gul and Rao Anjum, before Obuya was removed for a quick 30 by Samiullah Khan, an easy edge to Afridi in the slips. This brought the Kenyan hero to the crease though, and around Hall's disciplined 66, and Tikolo scored 73 off 74 balls, a fantastic innings from the captain, and allthough Shahid Afridi bowled him while Tikolo tried to hit the leggie out the park, Tikolo had set the platform for the lower order hitters, and Kenya finished their 50 overs on 253 for 7.
Steve Tikolo's fantastic innings set Kenya up with a good total to defend
The Pakistani chase didn't start well, as Imran Farhat was removed with the fourth ball of the innings, for a duck by seamer Peter Ongondo. However, this was the end of the Kenyan fun, as Umar and Younis Khan piled on 175 for the second wicket, only ending when Nik Bunter got Umar caught at slip, but Sufyan Munir, on his ODI debut, took over from Umar, and it looked like - at the start of the 44th over - Pakistan would win easily, needing just 34 to win. Slow left armer Mohammed Sheikh bowled a brilliant maiden, decieving the batsmen, and making it 34 needed off 30 balls. Josephat Ababu then conceded 9 off over 45, making 25 needed off 24 balls, but Sheikh raised the bar again, just two runs being conceded off his last over. Ababu conceded 5 off over 47, leaving. 18 needed off the final 18 balls. Younis Khan hit Nik Bunter for 4 off the first ball, but following a dot ball, he removed Khan's middle stump with a fantastic yorker, before tricking a tiny edge out of Fawad Alam, caught by Ouma, the wicket keeper. Only one run escaped from the rest of the over, and 13 were needed off twelve balls, but with a new batsman at the crease.
Ababu conceded seven off his, including an edge that didn't quite carry to the keeper, and so, the batsmen needed 6 to win, or 5 to tie, off the over from Nik Bunter...
BALL ONE - Bunter to Munir
Pushed past the dive of Kennedy Hall, boundary sweeper throws in. One run taken. 5 needed off 5.
BALL TWO - Bunter to Akmal
Yorker dug out by Akmal, but straight into the ground! Bunter leaps to his left and grabs the ball. Dot ball! 5 needed off 4.
BALL THREE - Bunter to Akmal
Bunter tried to swing it, to imitate his dismissal of Alam, but Akmal flicked it away for a quick two runs. 3 needed off 3.
BALL FOUR - Bunter to Akmal
The shock bouncer is flicked high, but Tikolo isn't going to quite get there, and Akmal and Munir manage to return for the second run! Scores level, 2 balls to go!
BALL FIVE - Bunter to Akmal
Pitched up, and pushed past the ring, for one run, and Pakistan win! A very, very brave effort from the Kenyans, but it was just not enough!
Younis Khan's century helped Pakistan to a close victory.
At Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
Kenya 253 for 7 - 50 overs
Steve Tikolo 73
Samiullah Khan 2/34
Pakistan 254 for 4 - 49.5 overs
Younis Khan 125
Nik Bunter 3/57
Man of the Match: Younis Khan
COMING SOON
England vs Zimbabwe