Zahid destroys New Zealand

Pakistan scored a comfortable six wicket victory over New Zealand at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Tuesday.

Put in to bat, New Zealand were bowled out for 90 in 43.2 overs. Pakistan coasted to victory in 31.4 overs.

Pakistan sent New Zealand in to bat on a wicket which favoured the seam bowlers. None of the batsmen were able to cope with the pace of Zahid Saeed who had figures of 5 for 30. The top order Kiwi batsmen crashed, at one stage five wickets going down for just eight runs. A stand of 58 runs between J. Frankilin and G Irwin brought about a mini recovery to an otherwise hopeless situaton.

Saeed looks a certain future Test player. The tall lad knocked the backbone of the New Zealand batsmen in devastating fashion. Bowling from the Press Box End of the Premadasa Stadium he extracted pace and lift off the wicket to obtain the fine figures of five for 18. Saeed is the only bowler upto now in the tournament to have taken five wickets in an innings. Up in Radella he had 3 for 14 in a first round game of the game against Kenya.

Pakistan were home without much difficulty. Opener Imran Nazeer scored 23 and Taufeeq Omer contributed an unbeaten 31. He and Humayun Farhat (19 not out) hastened the end with an unbroken fifth wicket stand of 33 runs off 8.1 overs.

Saeed holds the key to Pakistan's success in future games. If he maintains his form, Pakistan looks certain of going through to the final.