Brilliant Cricket Web XI race home
1st Test - Day 4 - Cricket Web XI vs Pakistan - Pickford Reserve
Thamba Mamesh launched after Shoaib Akhtar and hurried a 10-wicket win to start the Cricket Web XI campaign on a positive note. After an excellent effort with the ball, the Webbers raced to a meagre target of 44 within 10 overs and walked off to a standing ovation.
The day began with the tail end of the CW XI first innings in the wars. Pakistan only needed 9.1 overs to take the last 3 wickets, but largely because of the batting of Mike Wilson, the home side put on a further 32 runs to reach 325 all out. Wilson was the first wicket to fall on the day, bowled by Akhtar for 84 with a quick yorker. The final two wickets then fell cheaply and Sohail Tanvir completed a 4-wicket haul. Pakistan returned to the crease trailing by an even 100 runs, and Demeza immediately put them into further trouble. With his second ball he found a thin outside edge and sent Salman Butt packing for a duck.
Shoaib Malik's act of defiance featured two cut shots for four, then he too was out, caught at slip for 9. Demeza then eased off the gas and left Nick Borcich and Mike Wilson to get into the act. The former dismissed Younis Khan for 14 and the latter picked up Mohammad Yousuf (8) with a beautifully disguised slower ball. The prolific batsman attempted to drive square and mistimed the shot to be caught by Young in the covers. Pakistan went to lunch on 43-4. They returned in the second session with more fighting spirit and improved their fortunes with a fifth wicket stand of 51. Kamran Akmal played himself in aggressively and notably whipped Demeza off his pads for six, but on 32 he was deceived by a Pickup googly and adjudged lbw.
Borcich celebrates the wicket of Arafat
© Reuters (originally shown on theage.com.au)
The spinners tightened the noose by exploiting the turning surface, and eventually Richards outplayed Tanvir (5) and had him caught bat-pad. Fast bowler Nick Borcich replaced his captain and got Yasir Arafat to edge to second slip where Mamesh juggled the ball before clinging on. The celebration truly kicked off, however, when Borcich appealed successfully for the wicket of Misbah-ul-Haq in his next over. The right-hander appeared to have gotten outside of offstump when he was hit on the pad, but he was issued marching orders by umpire Marshall Griffin for 33. The tailenders fought on into the final session and added a further 26 runs and left CW XI 44 runs with the better part of 5 sessions to do so.
Mamesh faced up to Akhtar for his first ball in the third over, and clinically dispatched it to the midwicket fence. The following ball he stepped down the pitch and smashed it back overhead for six, and then completed the insult with two more boundaries before the over was out. Akhtar grabbed his hat from the umpire and walked off swearing at himself. It was the perfect summation of a miserable end to the match for the tourists, who move onto the second Test in a 1-0 hole.
Scorecard
Scorecard
Pakistan 1st Innings 225 all out
Yousuf 48, Malik 38, Pickup 4-26, Demeza 4-71
Cricket Web XI 1st Innings 325 all out
Wilson 84, Young 58, Tanvir 4-75, Arafat 3-40
Pakistan 2nd Innings 143 all out
Misbah-ul-Haq 33, Akmal 32, Wilson 3-14, Borcich 3-28
Cricket Web XI 2nd Innings 44 for 0
Mamesh 30*, Mørk 12*
Cricket Web XI won by 10 wkts.
Man of the Match: MW Wilson