{image-indian cricket league_11042008.jpg news.oneindia.in}Hyderabad, Apr 10: The second match of the ICL 20s World Series featured the formidable ICL Pakistani team take on the ICL World Team at the magnificent ICL facility, Lal Bahadur Stadium, here.

With a galaxy of international stalwarts in both sides, a high quality cricket match was in store for the cricket viewers. It turned out to be a one sided contest with the ICL Pakistani side scoring a comprehensive 9 wicket victory over the ICL world side. Chris Cairns won the toss and elected to bat. They opened with a new combination of the Elliott and Vincent. It was a positive start from the Australians for the world side, racing to 29 for no loss after 3 overs. Inzamam brought on his most economical bowler, Shahid Nazir in the 5th over who responded immediately with the wicket of Elliott for 14. At the end of the 5th over the World side was well placed at 41/1.

Some controlled bowling from Nazir and Arshad Khan chocked the scoring rate restricting the World total to only 46/2 in the 8th over. Shahid was taking off straight from his stupendous form at the Edelweiss 20s Challenge, accounting for his second scalp of the match in the form of Damien Martyn's wicket. At the half way mark of their innings, the ICL-world was in trouble at 57/3. Fall of wickets at regular intervals had the ICL-World side in serious trouble at 80/5 in the 14th over.

Razzaq came back for a second spell in the 17th over and worked his magic immediately sending back the dangerous Vincent and Hall of consecutive delivers to leave the ICL-World innings in total disarray at 112/7. With no real momentum the ICL World innings finally folded at a modest 130/9 in their allotted 20 overs.

In reply to the modest total, the Pakistani side got off to a good start with both Nazir&Razzaq playing shots all around the park taking the Pakistani total to 30 for no loss at the end of the first 3 overs. It was working out into a fluid partnership between the two inform openers brining the Pakistani 50 in the 7th over. At the half way mark of their innings the ICL Pakistani were comfortably placed at 66 for no loss. It was some sensible batting with the batsmen rotating the strike, with the odd boundary being the highlight of the ICL- Pakistani side in the middle overs. Nazir brought up his third ICL fifty off 50 balls studded with 6 boundaries and a six in the 14th over.

The openers brought on their century partnership in the 15th over coasting comfortably towards their target.

With 5 overs to go the ICL Pakistani side needed only 27 runs off 30 balls at less than 6 runs per over&all their 10 wickets intact.

It finally took the part time Mathew Elliott to break the stupendous partnership of 119 with the wicket of Nazir for a well made 69.

In the end the ICL Pakistani side easily got past the modest target of 131, with 9 wickets in hand.

Brief Scores: ICL-World 130/9(Vincent26, Harvey21, Arnold 23, Arshad Khan 3/24) lost by 9 wickets to ICL Pakistani 131/9in 17.3 overs (Nazir 69, Razzaq 55, Elliott 1/8)



UNI