The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan take Pakistan to big win

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 19, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan take Pakistan to big win

COLOMBO, JULY 18. Pakistan scored 105 runs in the last 10 overs to post an imposing total of 343 for five against a below-par Hong Kong side, in the last Group B match of the Indian Oil-Asia Cup tournament at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground here today.

The Pakistan 50 came in 7.5 overs for the loss of one wicket (Imran Nazir) and it lost its second opener (Imran Farhat) one run later, as yesterday's hero Yassir Hameed stayed away from the action.

The loss of another wicket at this stage could have proved dear but what followed was a 223-run partnership between centurions Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan that not only saved the day for Pakistan but took the game right away from Hong Kong.

Younis Khan, whose position in the team has not seemed very secure of late, took full advantage of a pedestrian Hong Kong attack and powered his way to 144 off 122 balls, hitting eight 4s and three 6s. He reached his century in 99 balls and was eventually caught at mid-wicket by Nadeem Ahmed off Afzaal Haider.

Shoaib Malik who, along with Younis Khan had missed out on a substantial score versus Bangladesh yesterday, helped himself to his fifth one-day century. Malik scored a run a ball century and reached 118 off 110 balls, before falling to an Afzaal Haider dierct hit. Malik hit ten 4s and two 6s.

Medium pacer Khalid impressed in the Hong Kong bowling, especially in his opening burst, even as the two left-arm spinners gave a lot of runs and exhibited no sustained skill. The Pakistanis got enough runs off the inexperienced attack to ensure that the string of one-sided matches will continue at this edition of the Asia Cup at least for a while. — UNI

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