Watch the highlights of Australia vs Pakistan 12th Match Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1981/82 - Benson & Hedges World Series Cup one-day international tournament of the 12th ODI match played between Pakistan and Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney in 14th January 1982.
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| Solid start from openers Graeme Wood and Bruce Laird © Cricket Australia / Channel 9 |
Forties from openers Graeme Wood and Bruce Laird, Captain Greg Chappell's all-round display and Bowlers attack helped to Australia crushing 76-run victory over Pakistan, keep alive their campaign in a one-sided game of the 12th match of a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.
AUSTRALIA scored 230/5 (50 Overs) with top scorer by Kim Hughes * 63 (73) and Bruce Laird 45 (83)
Pakistan best bowler by Mudassar Nazar 3/36 (10) and Imran Khan
1/37 (10)
PAKISTAN scored 154/9 (40.3 Overs) with top scorer by Mansoor Akhtar 40 (55) and Imran Khan 39 (59)
Australia best bowler by Greg Chappell
2/24 (8) and Dennis Lillee 2/23 (7.3)
This match reported by Brian Mossop (Third Party Reference from The Age)
Australia kept alive its chances of a place in the $50,000 Benson and Hedges World Series Cup cricket final when it crushed Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Given an 80 run start by Graeme Wood (42) and Bruce Laird (45) and spurred on by an 87 run partnership between Greg Chappell (36) and Kim Hughes (63 no), the Australians scored 230-5 off their 50 overs.
Desperately needing success, the Australians overwhelmed their opponents, dismissing their for 154 to gain a 76 run win. The match, in which the Australians always held the upper hand, ended on a mildly sensational note when wicketkeeper Wasim Bari had to retire hurt.
The crowd of 27,978 saw the end in the 41st over of the Pakistan innings when Bari fell to the ground after completing a second run, apparently with a torn hamstring muscle.
Bari had to retire hurt on nine, and may not play again on tour after having to be helped the ground. But the cup series, in which Pakistan had looked certain finalists, has suddenly come alive.
The Pakistanis play West Indies in Brisbane 16th January, and a loss in that game, their last, could allow the Australians to overtake them with wins in their next two matches against the West Indians.
The West Indies have 10 points from seven matches, Pakistan 8 points from nine matches and Australia 6 points from eight matches.
The Pakistanis, despite their complaints about lack of experience under lights, decided after winning the toss that they might make a better fist of the match by batting second
They had batted in daylight and crashed against the West Indies, and may well have felt that they could only improve their chances by reversing the order. But it was no more than a forlorn hope.
The Australians looked determined from the outset and while both Wood and Laird were reprieved, their opening stand of 80 in 23 overs laid the foundation for a healthy total.
Neither opener was In much trouble against the Pakistani attack and, ironically, it was Mudassar Nazar, the opening batsman, who proved the most dangerous of the bowlers.
Mudassar's medium pace accounted for both Wood and Laird, and Rick McCosker's wicket gave him 36-3 off his 10 overs. Wood, dropped by Wasin Bari off Sikander Bakht at 30, was the first to go, driving at Mudassar but playing outside the line to be bowled.
The innings had a temporary setback when Laird edged a catch behind to make it 108-2, and McCosker, who has made a mountain of runs on the SCG this summer, fell three runs later.
But when Chappell and Hughes got together the match swung back heavily in Australia's favor. Chappell, who hit himself out of the batting doldrums in Melbourne last weekend, was his old assured self as he quickly got on top of the attack.
But the Australian captain was overshadowed by Hughes, back in the team after missing both weekend matches in Melbourne because of a family bereavement. It was Hughes at his best as he danced down the wicket and thrashed the bowling with some powerhouse, if unorthodox strokes.
The vice-captain was in his element and if the Pakistanis were sometimes slipshod in the field, it was almost impossible to set a field for the volcanic Hughes.
The score was by no means unattainable, but the Pakistanis could not recover from a poor start. The Australians kept them constantly under pressure. Mansoor Akhtar hit a glorious 40 and Imran Khan a fighting 39, but the Pakistanis always looked a beaten team.
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