Shoaib's assault ends Pakistan's losing streak

Shoaib Akhtar produced an awesome spell of pace as Pakistan halted their 14-match losing streak against South Africa with a 67-run win in the Sharjah Cup triangular series yesterday. Shoaib snapped up three wickets in one over to rip through an under-strength South Africa in a matchreduced to a dress rehearsal for Friday's final.

South Africa, chasing a modest Pakistan total of 168, were cruising at 74 for 1 by the 17th over when Shoaib burst through, but the paceman aggravated a groin injury in his next over which was completed by Abdur Razzaq. He finished with figures of 3 for 9 off 4.5 overs.

Pakistan won toss

PAKISTAN

Imran Nazir b Pollock 0 Shahid Afridi b Klusener 26 Younis Khan c Boucher b Willoughby 5 Inzamam-ul-Haq lbw b Klusener 17 Yousuf Youhana run out (Benkenstein/Pollock) 65 *ÿMoin Khan c and b Hayward 0 Abdur Razzaq run out (Klusener) 14 Wasim Akram c Crookes b Willoughby 19 Waqar Younis b Crookes 2 Shoaib Akhtar c Boucher b Hayward 7 Arshad Khan not out 2 Extras (b1 lb2 w7 nb1) 11 Total (49.2 overs) 168

Fall: 1-0 2-12 3-43 4-60 5-61 7-124 8-140 9-161. Bowling: Pollock 9.2-2-28-1; Willoughby 10-2-39-2 (1w); Hayward 10-1-35-2 (1w); Klusener 10-0-27-2; Crookes 7-0-22-1 (1nb 3w); Strydom 3-0-14-0 (2w).

SOUTH AFRICA

G Kirsten ret hurt 8 H H Gibbs not out 59 N D McKenzie lbw b Waqar Younis 1 ÿM V Boucher c Moin Khan b Shoaib Akhtar 14 D M Benkenstein b Shoaib Akhtar 0 L Klusener b Shoaib Akhtar 0 *S M Pollock c Inzamam-ul-Haq b Wasim Akram 0 P C Strydom lbw b Abdur Razzaq 0 D N Crookes run out (Younis Khan) 5 M Hayward b Waqar Younis 1 C M Willoughby b Abdur Razzaq 0 Extras (b7 w4 nb2) 13 Total (26.5 overs) 101

Fall: 1-27 2-74 3-74 4-74 5-75 6-80 7-89 8-94 9-101. Bowling: Wasim Akram 8-0-26-1; Waqar Younis 8-0-39-2 (3w); Shoaib Akhtar 4.5-2-9-3 (1nb); Shahid Afridi 2-0-10-0 (1nb 1w); Abdur Razzaq 4-1-10-2.

Umpires: J H Hampshire (Eng) and P T Manuel (S Lanka).

Pakistan won by 67 runs.