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October 27
SA crush Pakistan to enter semis
Friday, October 27, 2006
Source: NDTV
Image Source: AP
Mohali: Pakistan were bowled out for 89 runs in 25 overs as South Africa registered a 124-run win at Mohali on Friday to enter the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy.
Makhaya Ntini picked up his fourth five-wicket haul in one-day internationals as he demolished the Pakistan top order with some incisive pace bowling.
Mohammad Hafeez was the first to go when South Africa captain Graeme Smith held on to a blinder at first slip. Ntini picked up the second wicket as well when Imran Farhat was caught by Shaun Pollock.
Pollock then uprooted Mohammad Yousuf's off stump with an unplayable delivery.
Ntini picked up two wickets in his fourth over. Pakistan captain Younis Khan spooned the ball into the air with a mistimed pull and Charl Langeveldt took the catch at mid-wicket.
Mark Boucher then picked up a brilliant catch as he dived towards the leg side to send back Shoaib Malik for a duck. Kamran Akmal was trapped leg before by Ntini.
Pollock picked up his second wicket of the match as he trapped Shahid Afridi leg before for 14, the highest score by a Pakistan player in this match till now.
Langeveldt also joined the party as he sent back Abdul Razzaq, bowled for five runs. He also picked up the wicket of Umar Gul with Boucher holding on to a skier.
The bowler picked up his third wicket of the match when Yasir Arafat lofted the ball over slips and Ntini took an easy catch at third man to seal a fantastic win.
Boucher, Kemp in record partnership
Earlier, Boucher and Justin Kemp hit a record 131-runs for the sixth wicket to take their side to 213 for eight after they had lost half their side for just 42 runs.
Deciding to bat first after winning the toss, South Africa got off to a disastrous start losing skipper Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs in the first over.
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October,27
Pak confident ahead of must-win game
Friday, October 27, 2006
Source: PTI
Image Source: AP
Mohali: A seemingly unruffled Pakistan on Thursday promised to "play better" and make less mistakes against South Africa whom they must beat in the Champions Trophy game on Friday to advance further in the tournament.
Skipper Younis Khan said not much should be read into the defeat to New Zealand on Wednesday as every other team was also losing and it was difficult to sustain winning momentum for long for any side in ODIs.
"We are not the only team losing," Younis said with a shrug and added that he had belief in his players to come good against the South Africans.
Coach Bob Woolmer also said he had full confidence in the team to strike back especially since the stakes involved were very high.
"We have full confidence in the team. We can't have control over people who we don't have. What I can say is we will play better. The stakes are high and the players know exactly what to do," he said on the eve of the match.
Younis did not think that he made a mistake by opting to field first in the match against New Zealand yesterday.
"Toss was not an issue. Any team winning the toss would have elected to field. If we had not made mistakes, we could have won the match as there was a stage when he needed 100 odd runs from 90 balls.
"We also made some mistakes against Sri Lanka but those were covered as we won that match. I have belief in the team because the same players won us the match against Sri Lanka."
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