Cricket: Pakistan recover their ground

Zimbabwe 277 & 268 Pakistan 354 & 58-1

PAKISTAN lost an early wicket yesterday in their quest to win the second and final Test against Zimbabwe in Harare. Set 192 to win, Pakistan closed the fourth day on 58 for 1.

The opener Saeed Anwar was 38 not out and Mohammad Wasim eight at stumps, having shared an unbroken 44-run stand for the second wicket. They came together in the third over of the innings following the dismissal of the makeshift opener Azhar Mahmoodfor nine. The Pakistan all-rounder, forced into his new role because Ali Naqvi has a sprained ankle, edged Heath Streak to Alistair Campbell at second slip.

Pakistan had earlier dismissed Zimbabwe for 268 in their second innings - a total largely due to an eighth-wicket partnership of 50 between Streak and Bryan Strang. They joined forces after the loss of Murray Goodwin before tea for 81 and frustratedthe Pakistani bowlers with a dogged stand.

However, when Strang top-edged a sweep off the leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, the rest of the batting folded easily, leaving Streak unbeaten on 37. Wasim Akram took the last two wickets to fall to finish with three for 70, although the pick of the bowlers was Mahmood with 3 for 26.

Earlier, the overnight pair of Goodwin and Andy Flower put on 95 for the fourth wicket, after resuming on 82 for 3. Flower fell for 49, but Goodwin went on to his fifth Test half-century, his second in the match, before edging Waqar Younis to first slip.

Fourth day; Zimbabwe won toss

ZIMBABWE - First Innings 277 (G J Whittall 62, M W Goodwin 53, B C Strang 53)

PAKISTAN - First Innings 354 (Mohammad Wasim 192, Mushtaq Ahmed 57)

ZIMBABWE - Second Innings

(Overnight: 82 for 3)

M W Goodwin c Inzamam b Waqar 81

A Flower c Inzamam b Mushtaq 49

G J Whittall c Rashid b Mahmood 15

T N Madondo c Rashid b Mahmood 2

H H Streak not out 37

B C Strang c Yousuf b Mushtaq 21

A G Huckle b Wasim Akram 0

M Mbangwa lbw b Wasim Akram 3

Extras (13b 15lb 12nb) 40

Total (111 overs) 268

Fall (cont): 4-133 5-166 6-175 7-205 8-255 9-255.

Bowling: Wasim Akram 33-8-70-3; Waqar Younis 25-3-60-2; Azhar Mahmood 16-7-26-3; Mushtaq Ahmed 37-6-84-2.

PAKISTAN - Second Innings

Saeed Anwar not out 38

Azhar Mahmood c Campbell b Streak 9

Mohammad Wasim not out 8

Extras (1b 1lb 1nb) 3

Total (for 1, 14 overs) 58

Fall: 1-14.

To bat: Inzamam-ul-Haq, Ali Naqvi, Yousuf Youhana, Moin Khan, *Rashid Latif, Wasim Akram, Yousuf Youhana, Mushtaq Ahmed, Waqar Younis.

Bowling (to date): Streak 6-2-11-1; Whittall 3-0-15-0; Mbangwa 2-0-11- 0; Huckle 2-0-15-0; Strang 1-0-4-0.

Umpires: R B Tiffin (Zim) and S G Randell (Aus).

Ed Giddins, the former England A pace bowler, will complete his rehabilitation from a 19-month ban from county cricket for taking cocaine when he flies out on Warwickshire's pre-season tour to South Africa today. His suspension expires next Wednesday.