Zimbabwe fight hard but to no avail

Lahore, May 26

Zimbabwe fought hard before going down by 41 runs to Pakistan in their first ODI at Lahore on Tuesday. Chasing a massive target of 376, the visitors scored 334/5 in their allotted quota of overs. Elton Chigumbara anchored the Zimbabwe chase with a fine 117, but the target proved a little too stiff for the visitors despite their valiant effort.

Earlier, Shoaib Malik capped his One-day return with a brilliant century to help Pakistan post their highest total against Zimbabwe. Malik, playing his first ODI after two years, notched a 76-ball 112 with 12 fours and two sixes after Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat on a flat Gaddafi Stadium pitch.

Malik built on a confident 170-run opening stand between Mohammad Hafeez (86) and skipper Azhar Ali (79) as Pakistan improved on their previous best total against Zimbabwe of 349 at Jamaica in 2007.

Malik's hundred — his first in 31 innings and since September 2009 — came off 70 balls as Pakistan added 112 in the last ten overs. Malik, 33, was dismissed off the last delivery, caught in the covers off Tinashe Panyangara. Malik had been part of a 201-run stand with Haris Sohail (89 not out), a new record for the third wicket against Zimbabwe beating the 145 runs which Javed Miandad and Amir Sohail put on at Hobart in 1992. Sohail's knock came off 66 balls.

Brief scores: Pak: 375/3 (Malik 112, Sohail 89, Hafeez 86); Zim: 334/5 Chigumbura 117, Masakadza 73. — Agencies