MacGill mazes Pakistan

SYDNEY, Jan 19: Pakistani captain Wasim Akram became the first bowler to claim 400 one-day wickets, but could not prevent his team crashing to a 81-run defeat against Australia here on Wednesday, reports AFP.

Australia piled up 286 in 49.4 overs and then shot Pakistan out for 205 to virtually assure a place in the tri-series finals with their fourth successive win.

Akram, the prolific left-arm seamer with 383 Test wickets under his belt, reached the 400 mark in one-day cricket in his 285th match. Next best on the all-time list is his teammate Waqar Younis, who has 290 wickets from 179 appearances.

The 33-year-old's feat was, however, overshadowed by a spirited batting display from both teams before a sell-out crowd of 40,000 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The SCG wicket, a fast bowlers' haven for the last one month, underwent a remarkable transformation in a matter of five days as excessive rolling toned down it's venom.

It was on the same strip last week that Australia shot India out for 100 and themselves slipped to 59-5 before crossing the modest target.

This time, Australia achieved the highest total in the series so far as Michael Bevan hit 77 and Damien Martyn 50, before Andrew Symonds thrashed 47 off 26 balls.

Pakistan made a gallant bid for victory, racing to 100-2 in just 12.1 overs, before leg-spinner Stuart MacGill stemmed the tide in his maiden one-day appearance.

MacGill, given a chance only because Shane Warne was recovering from a rib cage injury, grabbed a wicket in his first over before finishing with 4-19 from his 10 overs.

The New South Wales spinner was later named man-of-the-match.

Pakistan were given only 49 overs to bat after being penalised one over for slow over-rates by West Indian match referee Cammie Smith.

Ijaz Ahmed, sent in as opener, smashed 23 off 11 balls and Abdur Razzaq plundered 40 off 38 balls in a blazing start.

Razzaq took five successive boundaries off fast bowler Glenn McGrath, whose first five overs cost 61 runs.

MacGill, however, removed Razzaq in his first over through McGrath's catch in the covers, and then send back Yousuf Youhana, Azhar Mahmood and Saqlain Mushtaq.

Pakistan lost their last eight wickets for 105 runs to suffer their second consecutive defeat.

Australia's win gave them a clear lead in the league table with eight points from five matches.

Pakistan have four points from four games, while India have lost all their three matches so far.

India take on Pakistan in the next match at Hobart on Friday, needing a win to stay afloat in the series.

Earlier, Bevan, who walked in at 23-2 after Australia elected to bat, added 90 for the third wicket with Mark Waugh and 45 for the fifth with Martyn.

Martyn and Symonds then smashed 68 off just 52 balls as Australia plundered 88 off the last eight overs.

Akram had Gilchrist caught behind for 13 in his fifth over and then trapped Ricky Ponting leg-before next ball to move to 399.

He then returned for his second spell to have Martyn caught by Ijaz Ahmed for his 400th wicket.

It was Ponting's third successive duck in the series after making 115 against the Indians in Melbourne last week while Mark Waugh also reached a milestone in passing 7,000 one-day runs. Besides, the 12th hattrick ball of the summer failed when Bevan safely negotiated his first delivery with a single to fine leg off Akram. Waugh is now the eighth highest run-getter in one-day cricket.

Waugh, who made 43, helped Bevan lift the score from 23-2 to 113 when pace spearhead Shoaib Akhtar clean bowled the Waugh twins to make it 132-4 in the 29th over.

Symonds hit five boundaries and two sixes in his blazing knock and Shane Lee provided the perfect end to the innings 26 off 13 balls.