Watch the highlights of Australia vs Pakistan 26th Match Benson & Hedges World Cup 1992 - Benson & Hedges World Cup tournament of the 26th ODI match played between Pakistan and Australia at Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth on 11th March 1992.
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| Pakistan players celebrates after taking a wicket of Australian captain Allan Border © ICC / Digital Cricket TV |
A superb 76 by Aamer Sohail before Aaqib Javed, Mushtaq Ahmed's three-wicket hauls, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan's each two wickets helped to Pakistan stunning 48-run victory over defending champions Australia and keep their hopes alive in the 26th match of a Benson and Hedges World Cup.
Pakistan scored 220-9 in 50 overs with top scorer by Aamer Sohail struck 76 off 104-balls including 8-fours.
Javed Miandad cracked a 46 off 75-balls including three boundaries, Ramiz Raja hit 34 off 63-balls included 4-fours and Inzamam-ul-Haq scored a run-a-ball 16-runs without a boundary.
Australia best bowler by Steve Waugh picked up 3-wickets for 36-runs in 10-overs with economy rate of 3.60, Tom Moody took 2-wickets and one for Craig McDermott - Mike Whitney.
Australia bowled out for 172 in 45.2 overs with top scorer by Dean Jones cracked a 47 off 79-balls including 2-fours.
Geoff Marsh scored 39 off consuming 91-balls including a boundary and Mark Waugh scored 30 off 42-balls contained two-fours.
Pakistan best bowler by Aaqib Javed picked up 3-wickets for 21-runs in 8-overs including a maiden with economy rate of 2.62, Mushtaq Ahmed captured three-wickets for 41-runs in 10-overs, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan both took 2-wickets.
This match reported by The Canberra Times Staff (Third Party Reference from The Canberra Times)
Australia's dream of defending the World Cup ended in Perth as Pakistan made the reigning champions' task of qualifying for the competition finals a virtual impossibility with a 48-run victory.
Requiring a win to cling to hopes of climbing into the top four positions on the World Cup table, Australia faltered under the pressure of Pakistan's restrictive bowling.
Australia's captain Allan Border said after the match that the team had got its just deserts and that last night's performance was typical of the way Australia had been going in the series.
Chasing 221 for success, Australia encountered another middle-order collapse and could only manage 172 from 45.2 overs.
The intensity of the situation was reflected in the closing stages when tailend batsman Mike Whitney clashed heatedly with members of the Pakistan team.
Umpire Piloos Reporter and team-mate Bruce Reid stood between Whitney and Pakistan players to avoid further incident.
The defeat left Australia in eighth place on the nine-team table with just four points from six matches and with only a remote chance of adding another title to the 1987 success in India.
The Australians, who were 6-4 favourites before the competition began, required a miracle to make the finals with other teams' matches washed out.
Pakistan, who re-established its own push to the semi-final positions with the victory, claimed control of last night's battle with a spirited 76 from opener Aamir Sohail and brilliant bowling efforts from youngster Aaqib Javed and veteran Imran Khan.
Aaqib, promoted to the strike bowling duties in the absence of Waqar Younis, delivered his first six overs for a cost of just 11 runs and made the important breakthrough at the top of the Australian innings.
The 19-year-old removed makeshift opener Tom Moody for four and David Boon (five) to handicap the Australia run push at 2-31.
A patient 85-run partnership between Geoff Marsh (39) and Dean Jones (47) steadied the Australian effort and gave the team hope of completing its task at 2-116 in the 32nd over.
But Imran, who had not allowed the Australian batsmen many scoring opportunities on a flat wicket and fast outfield, orchestrated another breakthrough when he enticed Jones to hit out against leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed.
Jones mistimed a lofted shot and hit the ball to Aaqib at deep mid-off.
Imran removed Marsh six runs later and formally ended the Australian fight as the home nation proceeded to lose 5-40 in the middle stages.
Pakistan controlled the match from the time Imran won the toss and opted to bat.
A blazing start by batsman Aamir Sohail with 76 runs and wide deliveries from the Australian attack combined to set the tourists towards a commanding total of 260 mid-way through the innings.
Sohail was made man of the match for his performance.
Australian all-rounder Steve Waugh recovered from a wayward beginning to give his team an opportunity to climb back into the match.
Waugh bowled five no-balls in his opening five overs but settled his line in the later overs when the batsmen swung their blades wildly in search of quick runs and kept Pakistan down to a score of 220 with a tidy display.
Waugh bowled five overs in his second spell for the figures of 3-15 during a time when Australia's hopes of making the World Cup finals began to sink under the weight of the Pakistan runs.
He received solid support from strike bowler Craig McDermott with 1-33 from 10 overs.
Sohail and Javed Miandad (46) combined for a 77-run partnership midway through the innings that pushed the Pakistan total to 2-157 by the 37th over.
However, the later-order batsmen failed to capitalise on the solid foundation to add only 63 more runs in 13 overs.
Waugh played the major role in handicapping the Pakistan advance by taking the wickets of Miandad and the dangerous Imran Khan (16) in the 45th over of the innings.
And when the 26-year-old dismissed powerful hitter Wasim Akram for a duck with his now infamous slower ball in his following over, Pakistan had lost its major strike power in the closing stages.
Overall, the Australians were wayward with their deliveries. The Australian attack delivered 12 wides and two no balls-14 extra deliveries in the first 25 overs to enable Pakistan to progress to a healthy 2-94 at the half-way mark of its innings.
Border was concerned about the interpreta- tions of the wides and twice discussed the matter with South African umpire Karl Liebenberg.
Sohail added to the Australian woes with intelligent batting. He patiently produced 33 runs with effervescent Miandad adding seven.
But it was the sundries total that became the biggest headache for the Australian team.
The Australian opening Bruce Reid and McDermott allowed Pakistan to quickly establish a scoring rate near the three-runs-per-over mark.
Aamir and Rameez Raja (34) plundered the Australian bowling to set Pakistan towards a big total with 50 runs after 15 overs.
Pakistan advanced to 78 before left-arm pace bowler Mike Whitney provided Australia with a much needed breakthrough.
Border accepted a catch at short mid-wicket in the 20th over when Rameez charged Whitney. Just seven balls later, Tom Moody bowled Salim Malik for a duck with a slower delivery.
The quick wickets slowed the Pakistan run-rate in the middle overs but Aamir and Miandad resumed the quest for quick runs on a bouncy but batsman-friendly WACA wicket.
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