Watch the highlights of Australia vs Pakistan 6th Match Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1981/82 - Benson & Hedges World Series Cup one-day international tournament of the 6th ODI match played between Pakistan and Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney in 17th December 1981.
A superb all-round display from Mudassar Nazar's three-wickets with fifty and A maiden century from Zaheer Abbas helped to Pakistan effortless victory over Australia in the sixth match of a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.
Match Stats :
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AUSTRALIA scored 222/6 (50 Overs) with top scorer by Rick Darling 74 (100) and Rod Marsh 54 not out (49)
Pakistan best bowler by Mudassar Nazar 3/20 (10) and Sikander Bakht 1/48 (8)
PAKISTAN chased 223/4 (43.2 Overs) with top scorer by Zaheer Abbas 108 off 110-balls - which was his 1st ODI hundred - including 12-fours and Mudassar Nazar 50 (67)
Australia best bowler by Greg Chappell 2/38 (6.2) and Jeff Thomson 1/27 (7)
This match reported by Mike Coward (Third Party Reference from The Age)
A century of immense power and beauty by Zaheer Abbas gave Pakistan an effortless cup victory over a deflated Australian cricket team at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Zaheer. 34. who has nursed sore ribs for most of the summer, enabled Pakistan to score 223-4 front 43.2 overs. to record its second win over Australia and its third victory from five appearances in the Benson and Hedges World Series Cup this season.
Earlier. after being given a wonderful start by the irrepressible Rick Darling. Australia lost its way and finished with 222-6 after 50 overs.
The Australians still down in the mouth following the farce that was the third Test with Pakistan at the MCG shooting gallery, were seriously undermanned.
Skipper Greg Chappell was weakened by a virus. Jeff Thomson damaged a driving muscle in his right leg, Terry Alderman has a nagging soft tissue iniury in his left side and Geoff Lawson has a bruised wrist.
However. in no way should the misfortunes of the Australians detract from the virtuoso performance of Zaheer.
Sadly, the greatness of his innings was lost on the crowd of 11,413. who by their ill-timed slow-handclapping and name-calling. again showed they have do appreciation of the finer points of the game. They have been lured to cricket by this instant from of the game, and had little understanding of the magnitude of Zaheer's achievement.
His assault on Dennis Lillee and Geoff Lawson — worried by a throbbing wrist after crashing into an advertising hoarding —was startling. Off both the front and back foot he repeatedly drove through cover and mid-off. and occasionally hit late and square. One square drive off Lawson will long live in the memory. and he reached his century — from just 101 deliveries in 131 minutes — with his 11th boundary, a wonderful cover drive off Greg Chappell.
Zaheer batted for 146 minutes for his 108 and struck 12 boundaries and a five. It was the highest inrung played in a limited overs match between the two countries — surpassing the 80 accurnulated by Ross Edwards for Australia during the World 'Con at Headingley, Leeds, in 1975.
Yet Zaheer's memorable hand could have been ended earlier He was twice reprieved — by Bruce Laird and Allan Border. Laird failed to hold a catch at deep square leg offered to the .first hall from Border — a full toss on the leg stump — while Border dropped a relatively straight forward catch at cover point off the bowling of the hapless Thomson.
But in the context of limited over cricket. these were minor blemishes and Zaheer was most unfortunate not to has e been adjudged man of the match.
That distinction went to Mudassar Nazar, best known for his nine hour 57 minute Test hundred against England in 1977. Myudassar. 25. played soundly for a half century from 67 deliveries. after removing three Australian batsmen. including skipper Greg Chappell for his second consecutive duck. while conceding only 20 runs from 10 overs of seemingly harmless medium-pace.
His second wicket stand of 105 in 90 minutes with Zaheer. provided Pakistan with the impetus for an impressive victory. Captain Javed Miandad and his men are on something of a high following their Test success in Melbourne, and are anxious to demonstrate their new-found competence and confidence by reaching the finals of the lucrative cup competition.
Australia lost any chance of an unassailable total in Mudassar's seventh over. when Darling was tragically. and needlessly run out for 74. and Chappell played a lifeless on-drive and was caught by an excited Miandad at wide mid-wicket.
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