Kiwis raise formidable target

Express paceman Shoaib Akhtar captured three for 55 with Abdul Razzaq 2/28 and skipper Wasim Akram 2/45 struck at crucial moments as Pakistan pegged down the Kiwis.

But the 1992 champions, confident of posting an easy win, perhaps made their task of chasing much stiffer by conceding a whopping 47 extras, including 17 wides and 12 no balls, with Akram being the biggest culprit.

The New Zealand batsmen lifted their total substantially by taking 23 runs from the last two overs bowled by Akram and Shoaib Akhtar.

New Zealand had won all their matches in the tournament chasing and Pakistan have lost doing that, but Fleming opted for the prudent way out and his side eventually came up with a total that would give his bowlers a game chance.

Opener Matt Horne hit 35 off 48 balls, but the Kiwis were in serious trouble after being reduced to 58 for three before Fleming and Twose got together to build the innings.

Fleming won a crucial toss on a wicket expected to lose pace into the later half and chose to bat first, but were in trouble after both opener Nathan Astle 3 and the talented Craig McMillan 3 fell cheaply.

Akhtar, who troubled every batsman and had them guessing with cleverly disguised slower deliveries and yorkers, struck in his third over when he bowled astle off a faint inside edge, beating him for sheer pace to end his miserable stay.

Akram then claimed McMillan with an absolute beauty which he tamely edged to Moin Khan behind the stumps.

Horne, who hit a match-winning 74 against India, began unconvincingly but struck convincing boundaries off Akram and young paceman Razzaq, a flick through mid-on off the latter standing out.

But Razzaq retaliated brilliantly with an inswinging yorker that uprooted the middle stump.

Twose 46 8211; 83 b, 3 x4 and Fleming 41 8211; 57 b, 5215;4 got together to repair the damage with their 94-run stand coming off only 114 balls.

But Akhtar, brought back for his second spell, broke the stand. Fleming hit him for two fours through the point region, but the bowler produced a perfect yorker to bend back his leg stump in the 34th over.

Twose and Cairns added 24 runs before the left-hander, nearing his fourth tournament fifty, fell to a brilliant catch by Ijaz Ahmed at point. He cut a widish Razzaq ball, but Ijaz, a left-handed fielder divided to right to come up with the low catch.

Pakistan fielding was by and large impressive and Akram with attacking field positioning and fine rotation of his bowlers managed to keep the normally big-hitting Cairns quiet.

At 178 for five after 40 overs, the Kiwis seemed to have completely lost their way and could add just 29 runs in the next five overs.

Shoaib Akhtar, brought in for his final spell, sent Chris Harris back for 16 with a gem of an in-swinging yorker, identical to the one that got Fleming.

But Cairns, who hit just three boundaries in his 48-ball effort, and Parore first and then with Dion Nash in the last two overs scored vital runs to lift the Kiwi total closer to the 250-run mark.

Akram bowled superbly at the outset and in the slog overs as the batsmen struggled to read his swinging deliveries, but the Pakistan captain spoiled his efforts by dishing out a liberal dose of wides and no balls.