Read the article of Australia vs Pakistan 10th Match Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1984 - Benson & Hedges World Series Cup one-day international tournament of the 10th ODI match played between Pakistan and Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney in 25th January 1984.
Steve Smith's historic century and Rodney Hogg's four-wicket haul gives Australia's record 87-run victory over Pakistan and move to second place on the points table in a one-sided game of the tenth match of a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.
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Australia scored 244-8 in 50 overs with top scorer by Steve Smith struck 106 off 129-balls - which was his 2nd ODI hundred & his first century against Pakistan in ODIs - including 12-fours.
Greg Ritchie scored 31 off 47-balls including two boundaries, Wayne Phillips 25 and Rod Marsh 20.
Pakistan best bowler by Abdul Qadir picked up 3-wickets for 42-runs in 10-overs including a maiden, Tahir Naqqash took 2-wickets and one for Mudassar Nazar - Rashid Khan.
Pakistan scored 157 for all-out in 47.2 overs with top scorer by Imran Khan cracked a 41 off consuming 83-balls including three boundaries.
Wasim Raja cracked a run-a-ball 32-runs including 2-fours & a six, Javed Miandad scored 26 off consuming 65-balls included three boundaries and Rashid Khan 17.
Australia best bowler by Rodney Hogg claimed a 4-wickets for 37-runs in 10-overs, Allan Border, Goeff Lawson, John Maguire and Kepler Wessels each took one-wickets.
This match reported by Mike Coward (Third Party Reference from The Age)
Steve Smith, the opening batsman the NSW and Australian selectors chose to ignore, scored a splendid century as an opening batsman to give Australia an effortless 87-run victory over Pakistan in a limited-over international at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Smith, 22, who for reasons best known to the NSW selectors, has spent much of the past 12 months in the middle order, joined West Indians Viv Richards and Desmond Haynes as the century- scorers so far in this Benson and Hedges World Series Cup competition.
His outstanding man-of-the- match performance of 106 from 129 balls before a crowd of 26,106, enabled Australia to reach 8/244, a target always well out of reach. of the hopelessly inadequate and despondent Pakistanis.
Pakistan, which has not beaten Australia in four meetings this series, is now virtually out of the competition with only three points from seven appearances.
The tourists were doomed from the start last night when they lost their first four wickets for 46 the normally reliable openers Mudassar Nazar and Mohsin Khan departing in the first three overs and they were all out for 157.
The Australians won so convincingly with 2.4 overs in hand they were able to rest ace pace-man Geoff Lawson, who has a recurring back injury. He was required to bowl only six overs, which he did quite magnificently to take 1/15.
In his absence, Carl Rackemann and Rodney Hogg shouldered the load and both responded positively to the added challenge. Rackemann finishing with no wickets for 16 from his 10 overs, and Hogg a magnificent 4/35.
Veteran Rod Marsh marked his resumption from injury with a flawless display at the wicket. Although occasionally bothered by his damaged right index finger, he still managed two fine catches off the pacemen and then capped his evening with a delightful and swift stumping off Kepler Wessels's bowling.
The only notable opposition to the Australian attack came from Imran Khan (41 from 83 balls) and Wasim Raja (32 from 32 deliveries), who added 57 in 38 minutes for the fifth wicket.
It was a particularly impressive showing by Wasim who was playing his first game since the third week of December. He timed the ball beautifully from the start, and highlighted his hand with a six over mid-wicket off Wessels.
Pakistan, needing to score at 4.9 runs per over, began the daunting task in disastrous fashion, losing openers Mudassar Nazar and Mohsin Khan within three overs with one run on the board.
Mudassar was run out to the third ball of the innings after clipping Lawson to Wayne Phillips at square leg, and Mohsin was bowled when neither back nor forward to the third ball of Lawson's second over.
Skipper Imran Khan, who promoted himself to No. 3 for the occasion, was in such a state of shock that he took 34 minutes to open his scoring.
Smith's domination of the Pakistan attack, threadbare without Safraz Nawaz and Azeem Hafeez, enabled Australia to reach 8/244, its best result so far in this series.
Smith who has no particular liking for the middle order, relished his reinstatement as an opener and played with infectious confidence from the outset.
His poise and mastery of the attack must have been the source of some embarrassment to his captain Kim Hughes, who last weekend persisted in opening with Greg Ritchie and batting Smith at number six.
Coincidentally it was in his third appearance for Australia in these matches - last summer when he also scored a century - a brilliant 117 in the second final against New Zealand at the MCG.
Seemingly unconcerned by the intense heat, Smith took control from the moment Kepler Wessels drove Tahir Naqqaah straight to Qasim Omar in the covers in the sixth over.
A powerful driver and puller, Smith launched his innings by takings 12 from Tahir's fourth over -beautifully placed boundaries to the fence at cover, mid-off and mid-wicket.
And during his long stay he eventually fell in the 46th over- he found productive helpers in Ritchie and Phillips, playing as a specialist middle-order batsman following the return from injury of veteran keeper-batsman Rod. Marsh.
With Ritchie, Smith added 67 in 44 minutes for the second wicket and his fifth-wicket association was worth 64 in 59 minutes.
Smith had so much time to play his every offering and he placed the ball precisely, He struck 12 boundaries in his 106 from 129 balls, and ironically fell to Rashid Khan immediately after calling for his pet bat "big Bertha", a wicked-looking weapon New Zealand's Lance Cairns introduced to the unsuspecting Australian cricket watchers last summer.
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