Pakistan take series
Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez with 139 runs and Imran Farhat with 75 formed a record-breaking opening partnership of 228 runs against Zimbabwe here Sunday to secure an overwhelming win in the second ODI to take the three-match series.
Their combination beat the previous mark set by Saeed Anwar and Rameez Raja of 204 against Sri Lanka.
The Pakistani pair stayed together for the entire 42.1 overs necessary to record a ten-wicket victory over a hapless home side who had scraped together 225-6 in their 50 overs.
Hafeez, who recorded his third ODI century and was later named man of the match for the second time on this tour, needed only 147 balls while Farhat's 75 required 106 balls.
They treated the Zimbabweans with apparent disdain, running leisurely and with the occasional strikes for boundaries. They gave the home side the appearance of one that still has a long way to go before competing seriously against quality Test teams.
In reaching 30 runs, Hafeez passed the 2000 mark in ODIs, adding more than 100 more on the way to the next thousand.
It was the fifth time that Zimbabwe had been beaten by ten wickets in 400 ODIs played over the years.
In restricting Zimbabwe to 225 runs at Harare Sports Club, Pakistan kept the home batsmen well under their thumb.
Winning the toss and deciding to bat, Brendan Taylor's team got off to a very slow start and they struggled throughout as Junaid Khan and Sohail Tanveer bowled three maidens in the first seven overs.
Vusi Sibanda scored one run from 20 balls before getting out for 14. Hamilton Masakadza managed only four from his first 25 balls faced. And Zimbabwe only managed 22 runs in the first ten overs.
Masakadza ended with 68 runs but from 118 balls, well below par compared with the performance of Hafeez.
SCORES IN BRIEF
ZIMBABWE: 225 for 6 (Masakadza 68, Taylor 50, Taibu 26, Chigumbura 17 not out; Tanvir 2-33)
PAKISTAN: 228 for no loss (Farhat 75 not out, Hafeez 139 not out)
Result: Pakistan won by 10 wickets and lead three-match series 2-0.
Man-of-the-match: Mohammad Hafeez.
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