zimcricketnews.com

For the opening match in the 5-match ODI series, Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to field - a decision they will soon have come to regret. Pre-match reports had pegged the Karachi pitch as a batting paradise, and from Pakistan's performance that certainly looked to be the case. Nasir Jamshed's 61 was an impressive international debut, and apart from Salman Butt every other Pakistani batsmen passed the half-ton with little in the way of trouble, as Zimbabwe's bowlers had problems keeping the home side in check - the usually-frugal Utseya was flayed for 46 runs off his 5 overs (a horribly-expensive 9.2/over), with the rest of the attack not doing much better. Pakistan ended their 50 overs on 347/5, leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb, even on a friendly pitch.

Zimbabwe got off to a flyer, though, with Vusi Sibanda working the ball well and keeping Zim in close touch with the Pakistanis. Fellow opener Hamilton Masakadza fell during the 9th, but Chamu Chibhabha supported Sibanda well and left Zimbabwe fans thinking there was a chance of another upset win. After Sibanda fell in the 18th, though, it was all downhill - disappointing outings from Taylor, Taibu and Matsikenyeri condemned Zimbabwe to another loss, although overall their score wasn't bad and fifties from Sibanda, Chibhabha and Williams showed that the side does have some batting class. Interestingly, this match holds the record for most fifties scored in an ODI, with 5 Pakistan players reaching the mark along with the 3 Zimbabweans - and that stat in itself tells the story of the game. Zimbabwe did manage to bat out their innings, but their closing score of 243/7 was well short of the required total.

Next matches: 2nd ODI in Hyderabad on Thursday 24th January, and Zimbabwe Provinces v Free State in Bloemfontein from 24th-26th January. Scorecard for this match is below the cut.
Pakistan 347/5 (Younis Khan 79, Price 2/62), Zimbabwe 243/7 (Sibanda 59, Shoaib Malik 3/34). Pakistan win by 103 runs, lead series 1-0 with 4 to play.

Teams
Zimbabwe: Vusi Sibanda, Hamilton Masakadza, Tatenda Taibu, Brendan Taylor, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Chamu Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Sean Williams, Prosper Utseya, Ray Price, Christopher Mpofu
Pakistan: Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Samiullah Khan, Iftikhar Anjum

Pakistan innings (50 overs maximum)
Salman Butt	run out (Taibu)	                4
Nasir Jamshed	c Matsikenyeri b Chibhabha	61
Younis Khan	c Masakadza b Price	        79
Mohammad Yousuf	c Mpofu b Price	                72
Shoaib Malik	c Sibanda b Chibhabha	        63
Misbah-ul-Haq	not out	                        56
Shahid Afridi	not out	                        2
    Extras	(lb 2, w 5, nb 3)	        10
    Total	(5 wickets; 50 overs)	        347

Did Not Bat: Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Samiullah Khan, 
Iftikhar Anjum 

Fall of wickets: 1-45 (Salman Butt, 7.6 ov), 2-85 (Nasir Jamshed, 14.4 ov), 
3-198 (Younis Khan, 31.1 ov), 4-239 (Mohammad Yousuf, 37.4 ov), 
5-338 (Shoaib Malik, 48.6 ov)

Bowling	        O	M	R	W	Econ	
CB Mpofu	10	0	72	0	7.20	(1w)
E Chigumbura	7	1	43	0	6.14	(2nb, 1w)
CJ Chibhabha	10	0	78	2	7.80	(1nb, 2w)
H Masakadza	2	0	8	0	4.00	
RW Price	10	0	62	2	6.20	(1w)
P Utseya	5	0	46	0	9.20	
SC Williams	6	0	36	0	6.00


Zimbabwe innings (target: 348 runs from 50 overs)
V Sibanda	c Younis Khan b Iftikhar Anjum	59
H Masakadza	c Kamran Akmal b Sohail Tanvir	14
CJ Chibhabha	b Shahid Afridi	                52
T Taibu	        lbw b Shahid Afridi	        13
BRM Taylor	st Kamran Akmal b Shoaib Malik	2
SC Williams	not out	                        51
S Matsikenyeri	lbw b Shoaib Malik	        3
E Chigumbura	c Nasir Jamshed b Shoaib Malik	15
P Utseya	not out	                        18
    Extras	(lb 2, w 12, nb 2)	        16
    Total	(7 wickets; 50 overs)	        243

Did not bat: RW Price, CB Mpofu 

Fall of wickets: 1-47 (Masakadza, 8.3 ov), 2-103 (Sibanda, 17.4 ov), 
3-130 (Taibu, 22.5 ov), 4-141 (Taylor, 25.5 ov), 
5-159 (Chibhabha, 32.2 ov), 6-166 (Matsikenyeri, 35.1 ov), 
7-195 (Chigumbura, 41.5 ov)

Bowling	        O	M	R	W	Econ	
Sohail Tanvir	7	1	26	1	3.71	(3w)
Samiullah Khan	10	0	60	0	6.00	(1nb, 2w)
Iftikhar Anjum	5	0	40	1	8.00	(1w)
Shahid Afridi	10	0	33	2	3.30	(1w)
Shoaib Malik	10	0	34	3	3.40	
Younis Khan	4	0	18	0	4.50	(1nb, 1w)
Misbah-ul-Haq	4	0	30	0	7.50