ICC Cricket World Cup 2011: Pakistan Beat Spirited Canada by 46 Runs

Pakistan beat an improved Canada side by 46 runs in their Group A ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 match on Thursday 3rd March 2011 in Columbo RPS.

After posting a disappointing score of 184 All Out, Pakistan, again helped by a tremendous bowling effort from their captain, Shahid Afridi, who took five wickets in yet another World Cup 2011 match, removed Canada for 138 in 42.5 overs, which meant that Pakistan won by 46 runs.

Each of Pakistan’s top order batsmen made a few runs, but failed to build having made a start. The wickets tumbled with regularity, as Canada reduced Pakistan to 67 for 4 wickets. An important partnership of 73 runs between Misbah-ul-Haq (37) and Umar Akmal (48) then prevented a serious problem, until Canada made a breakthrough when Umar Akmal was taken LBW bowled Rao.

The same bowler then removed the dangerous Misbah 15 runs later, caught Bagai, putting Pakistan on 165 for 6 wickets, with the match looking poised: the quick wickets removed the feeling that a big total was building.

Canada did not miss the opportunity to remove Pakistan for a catchable target, as they set about removing the last four batsmen for just 19 runs – with the last three coming for the addition of just three runs, once Shahid Afridi (20) was accounted for.

Hansra and Baidwan did the damage against the tail-enders, with the latter clean bowling Saeed Ajmal to take the third wicket of his good performance: Baidwan picked up 3 wickets for 35 runs from 8 overs on a wicket which offered a little to bowlers able to hit their mark.

Canada came into bat with a reachable total of 185 to aim for to get the win.

It was slow going for the Canadian team, however, and they were reduced to 16 for 2 wickets pretty quickly, before Surkari (27) and Bagai (16) played tight innings, without getting the run-rate particularly high.

Shahid Afridi got the first of his wickets by taking Bagai LBW – with a decision which was given only after referral (all of the first four referrals went against the on-field umpire in this match) – Afridi was signalling for the referral as soon as he saw the umpire’s head beginning to shake. He was right. Bagai was plumb. Canada were 44 for 3.

Hansra (43) then stepped up to play an excellent innings, which saw him build a partnership of 60 runs that threatened, for a while, to get Canada home. The highlight of this was surely Hansra’s straight six off the bowling of Ajmal.

Saeed Ajmal soon got over that largesse, however, when he took Surkari LBW (another referral, after the ball appeared to have hit an inside edge) signalling the start of a spell of Pakistan wickets.

Shahid Afridi came back into the attack and quickly got a return, clean bowling Cheema (4), before following up soon after, bowling the important Hansra (43) with a wrong-un, and following that, one ball later, with an off-spinner which bowled Baidwan (0) first ball to set up a hat-trick opportunity.

It wasn’t to be for the hat-trick, but Afridi’s quick string of wickets had torn through the Canadian middle order, leaving them 114 for 7 wickets.

When Afridi got his fifth wicket, that of Gordon (9), who fell hitting a big shot, which was superbly caught by Riaz, Canada had only 2 wickets in hand with which to find the remaining 55 runs – they could only manage 8, as Rao (1) was run out – by a Shahid Afridi clean hit – and Osinde (0) was bowled by Riaz.

Yet again for Pakistan, their best bowler had been their captain, Shahid Afridi, who ended with 5 wickets for 23 runs from 10 overs. Afridi is comfortably the most wicket-taking bowler at ICC World Cup 2011 thus far.

Canada will be pleased with the way in which they removed what is a decent batting line-up, but will be disappointed they did not get closer when the run chase looked to be going smoothly at one stage. As a number of teams are finding, however, Shahid Afridi is a game changing bowler, at present: any team which wants to beat Pakistan in this World Cup must learn how to deal with his impressive array of spinning deliveries.

Canada v Pakistan – ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Scorecard

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.

Pakistan won by 46 runs.