Watch the highlights of Pakistan vs Australia 1st Semi-Final Reliance World Cup 1987 - Reliance World Cup 1987 tournament of the first Semi-final played between Australia and Pakistan at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore in 04th November 1987.
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| Craig McDermott celebrates after taking a wicket © Digital Cricket TV / YouTube |
Inspired by Top-order batsmens before A stunning maiden five-wicket haul from Craig McDermott gives Australia pulled off a dramatic 18-run victory over Pakistan, despite a fighting innings from Javed Miandad - Imran Khan's half-centuries and Australia second time march into the World Cup finals in a high-voltage game of the first Semi-final of a Reliance World Cup.
Australia scored 267-8 in 50 overs with top scorer by David Boon cracked a 65 off 91-balls including 5-fours.
Mike Veletta scored 48 off 50-balls - who fell two-run short of his half-century - including two boundaries, Dean Jones hit 38 off 45-balls included 3-fours.
Steve Waugh cracked a unbeaten 32 off 28-balls including 4-fours & a six with strike rate of 114.28 and Geoff Marsh scored 31 off 57-balls included 2-fours.
Pakistan best bowler by Imran Khan picked up 3-wickets for 36-runs in 10-overs including a maiden and Saleem Malik and Tauseef Ahmed both took 2-wickets.
Pakistan scored 249 for all-out in 49 overs with top scorer by Javed Miandad struck 70 off 103-balls including 4-fours.
Imran Khan hit 58 off 84-balls including 4-fours, Saleem Malik 25, Saleem Yousuf 21, Wasim Akram 20 and Abdul Qadir 20 not out.
Australia best bowler by Craig McDermott claimed a career-best 5-wickets for 44-runs in 10-overs, Bruce Reid took 2-wickets and one for Allan Border - Steve Waugh.
This match reported by Mike Coward (Third Party Reference from SMH)
A rejuvenated, brave and ambitious Australian cricket team has reached the final of the World Cup.
Australia shattered the Third World dream of an India-Pakistan final when they overpowered tournament favourites Pakistan by 18 runs with one over remaining.
Inspired by the deeds of their upper order batsman and a reborn Craig McDermott, Australia silenced a capacity crowd of 40,000 which included President Zia-ul-Haq at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Australia, who lost the first final to the West Indies in 1975, will play the winner of tomorrow's semi-final between defending champions India and England in Bombay.
Pakistan, in pursuit of a considerable 268 to reach their first final, never recovered from the loss of three wickets in the first 11 overs.
McDermott, who began the assault by bowling Mansoor Akhtar in his fourth over returned to take four for 28 from his last five overs the last three for eight runs from 12 balls. He was named Man-of-the-Match and received his award from President Zia. The Australians engulfed McDermott and waved to their handful of supports in the capacity crowd.
Javed Miandad and Imran Khan offered the only serious opposition with a splendid fourth-wicket stand of 112 in 25 overs. However, when Imran gave wicketkeeper Greg Dyer the first of his four catches to the seventh ball Allan Border bowled - the pressure of the occasion and the expectation of the people began to overwhelm the Pakistanis.
Javed, missed by Border at 20 off Simon O'Donnell, went on to score 70 but was unable to change the course of the match.
"We are absolutely ecstatic," Australian captain Border said immediately after the match. "No-one really gave us a chance and it is a dream come true for all of the players.
"We will be very hard to beat in the final," said Border, who was mobbed by his teammates when Dyer removed Tauseef to complete the coup.
Border said he would prefer to play against England in the final at Eden Gardens, Calcutta on Sunday. He said it would be a daunting proposition to confront India in front of a home crowd of 100,000.
Imran, making an emotional last appearance in the international arena played brilliantly for 58 from 83 balls with four boundaries to complement his splendid bowling performance of three for 36 from his 10 overs - the three wickets coming in his last two overs at the cost of his six runs.
But, while he finished the Australian innings in such an emphatic manner, he was unable to halt Stephen Waugh who is developing with every performance. He ruthlessly ripped 18 runs from Saleem Jaffer's final in the end the margin of
over Australia's victory.
Rank outsiders after a woeful 12 months in both Test match and limited-over competition, the Australians bowled and fielded with a greater intensity today.
Within 30 minutes of their victory the had left the ground for their hotel to prepare for an immediate departure by charter plane for Bombay.
However, they will not watch the other semi-final tomorrow. They will travel immediately to Calcutta to start their preparation for the final.
The Pakistanis, rarely under pressure throughout the qualifying rounds, were at full stretch after Rameez Raja was run out in the first over.
Required to score at 5.36 for victory, they needed eight an over in the last 10 overs a task beyond them despite some brave hitting by Wasim Akram, Salim Yousuf and Abdul Qadir who remained unbeaten on 20.
Immediately after the game Imran locked the Pakistani dressing room. For him, it was a sad departure from the game.
David Boon and Geoff Marsh again provided the direction for the Australian innings with a splendid stand of 73 in 18 overs to follow their telling stands of 110 and 88 against India and 90 against Zimbabwe.
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