Pak Makes 162-9 Against Australia

BIRMINGHAM, England: Kamran Akmal struck 33 as Pakistan made 162-9 against Australia on Tuesday in the second Twenty20 international at Edgbaston. The wicketkeeper hit four fours and a six in his 25-ball innings, while Salman Butt (31) and Umar Akmal (25) also chipped in with decent knocks.

Dirk Nannes claimed figures of 3-30, including the wickets of Umar Akmal (25) and captain Shahid Afridi (18) in the space of two balls. Steve O’Keefe, making his international debut as one of two changes made by Australia, had 3-29 as a late onslaught by Pakistan failed to materialise.

Pakistan won the the first match in the two-game series by 23 runs Monday.

Just as in the opener, Pakistan lost its opening wicket on the fourth ball of the innings when Shahzaib Hasan (0) was trapped lbw by David Hussey. Kamran Akmal came to the crease to join Butt and the pair put on a second-wicket stand of 61 to place Pakistan back in the driving seat.

Butt had hit six fours in his 21-ball knock by the time he top-edged a sweep to Cameron White at short fine leg off the bowling of O’Keefe.

Kamran Akmal, who hit 23 in the first match, was the next to go after mistiming a pull shot off Mitchell Johnson, the ball looping to midwicket where captain Michael Clarke took an impressive catch.

The dismissal of Shoaib Malik (12) brought Afridi to the middle alongside Monday’s man of the match Umar Akmal, and they put on 30 off 20 balls before they were dismissed one after the other by Nannes.

Akmal was caught and bowled when he skied a short ball and Afridi edged to wicketkeeper Tim Paine.

Wickets then fell at regular intervals as the run-rate slowed marginally, with Umar Gul and Shoaib Akhtar both bowled by the impressive O’Keefe for ducks in the penultimate over as they attempted big heaves down the ground.