Watch the highlights of Australia vs Pakistan Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1st Final 1989-90 - Benson & Hedges World Series Cup one-day international tournament of the first final played between Pakistan and Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne in 23rd February 1990.
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| Dean Jones hit a unbeaten 83 © Cricket Australia / Channel 9 / Costa Sports |
Bowlers attack before An superb unbeaten 83 by Dean Jones and captain Allan Border's unbeaten 44 steers to Australia comfortable seven-wicket victory over Pakistan, despite a all-round display from Wasim Akram's quick-fire 86 with two wickets and take a 1-0 lead in a low-scoring game of the best-of-three finals of a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.
Pakistan scored modest total of 162 for all-out in 47.5 overs with top scorer by Wasim Akram hammered a career-best 86 off 76-balls including 5-fours & 3-sixes with strike rate of 113.15.
Saleem Malik struck 39 off 47-balls including 6-fours and Tauseef Ahmed scored 10 off consuming 43-balls without a boundary.
Australia best bowler by Greg Campbell picked up 3-wickets for 39-runs in 9-overs including a maiden, Terry Alderman, Simon O'Donnell, Carl Rackemann each took 2-wickets and one for Peter Taylor.
Australia chased 163-3 in 45.5 overs with top scorer by Dean Jones hit a unbeaten 83 off 135-balls including 3-fours & a six.
Allan Border scored a unbeaten 44 off 61-balls including two boundaries, Steve Waugh and Mark Taylor each scored 13-runs.
Pakistan best bowler by Wasim Akram took 2-wickets and one for Waqar Younis.
This match reported by The Canberra Times Staff (Third Party Reference from The Canberra Times)
An in-form Dean Jones took some consolation for missing the International-Cricketer-of-the-Year award with a sparkling innings to lead Australia to victory over Pakistan in the first World Series Cup one-day final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Imran Khan pipped Jones by just 1.1 points for the $72,000 Rover - the prize for the cricketer of the year - but the Victorian took out his frustration with an unbeaten 83 to put Australia 1-0 up in the best-of-three series.
Jones ran superbly between the wickets in partnership with captain Allan Border and Australia reached 3-163 in 45.5 overs, overhauling Pakistan's 162 all out with 4.1 overs to spare.
Border finished unbeaten on 44, but Australia's victory was set up before the start of play when the Australian captain won the toss and sent Pakistan in on a seaming wicket.
The tourists crashed to 5-50 in the 19th over and only a brilliant 86 from all-rounder Wasim Akram enabled them to post a reasonable
score.
Akram smashed his runs from only 76 deliveries, hitting five fours and three sixes, despite the effects of a lingering groin strain.
Jones was named man of the series for the 12 qualifying matches and he carried that form into today after the early loss of openers Mark Taylor and Tom Moody.
The hometown favourite hit only three fours and one six, but frustrated Imran with his superb judgement of a run, stealing singles at will and conjuring second runs out of thin air.
Earlier, Akram had produced a lethal inswinging yorker to breathe life back into the tourists' bid for victory. He dismissed Steve Waugh for 13 to leave Australia 3-57 in the 25th over, still needing 4.15 an over to win.
Jones was still on 24 after having faced 66 deliveries while captain Allan Border was on one.
Pakistan captain Imran played his trump card by recalling Akram to the crease in the 19th over as Waugh and Jones started to run the innings after the Australians lost two early wickets.
Taylor and Moody both failed and Waugh and Jones steadied the innings with a 31-run stand in 50 minutes.
Jones started slowly but the pair frustrated the Pakistanis with their aggressive running until Akram was recalled to the attack.
The left-armer conceded only six runs in his opening spell and broke through with the last ball of his seventh over, completely beating Waugh.
Waugh sighted the ball on off-stump but it swung late and crashed into the base of his leg stump.
Akram followed up his brilliant 86-run innings by making the initial breakthrough in his third over.
West Australian Moody made four out of an opening partnership of nine and tried to cut the left-armer but could only help the ball along to wicketkeeper Saleem Yousuf.
Waqar Younus replaced Akram from the southern end and Taylor gave Yousuf his second catch in the teenager's first over.
Taylor, on 13, was beaten as the ball left him off the wicket and Yousuf took a good catch low to his left after being unsighted when the ball pitched.
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