So, Pakistan restrict Australia to 151 to take the Twenty20 series 2-0. Their batting was a little more patchy today, but a team effort took them to 162. The bowlers looked like a good unit, though, and Shoaib looked much more fluent today. Mohammad Aamer bowled with pace and intelligence to finish with 3 for 27, and there was no weak link in the attack. For Australia, Steve O'Keefe bowled very well to pick up three wickets on debut, but the batsmen, Hopes and David Hussey aside, couldn't put together any partnerships. Pakistan were the better team today, and their win is well-deserved. Read all about it in Brydon Coverdale's match bulletin
19.4
W
Umar Gul to Nannes, OUT, it's all over! Nannes jams out another yorker, confusion in the running as both he and Tait are unsure whether to try and steal a single. Gul charges through after his follow-through, picks up the ball and whips the bail off to end the game.The Pakistan team converge, all smiles and the partisan crowd cheer their victory
SW Tait run out 2 (6m 4b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50.00
19.3
6
Umar Gul to Nannes, SIX, six! Gul misses his mark with the yorker, turning it into a half-volley. Nannes closed his eyes and swung, connecting well to send the ball sailing over long-off!
19.2
0
Umar Gul to Nannes, no run, yorker again from Gul, wide of off and it shoots underneath Nannes' bat as he tries to swish through the off side
19.1
1
Umar Gul to Tait, 1 run, Tait backs away to leg as Gul fires in an inswinging yorker, slapping the ball to extra cover. Just a single though
END OF OVER:19 | 5 Runs 1 Wkt | AUS: 144/9 (19 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 7.57, RRR: 19.00)
- Dirk Nannes6 (4b)
- Shaun Tait1 (3b)
- Mohammad Amir4-0-27-3
- Umar Gul3-0-29-1
18.6
0
Mohammad Amir to Nannes, no run, Nannes heaves mightily to leg now, but connects only with fresh air as the ball shoots over the top of leg stump
19 from 7 needed now
18.5
4
Mohammad Amir to Nannes, FOUR, what a shot from Nannes! Full on the off stump and Nannes cracks it very hard in the air, and straight! Long-off charges round but can't cut it off. Nannes still believes...
18.4
1
Mohammad Amir to Tait, 1 run, Tait backs way to leg this time and lifts the ball to long-on. Flat-batted it, but didn't time it at all
18.3
0
Mohammad Amir to Tait, no run, full and fast again, Tait just pushes it back to the bowler
18.2
0
Mohammad Amir to Tait, no run, how has that missed? Tait is beaten for pace by a full ball that shaves past the outside edge of the bat and the off stump
18.1
W
Mohammad Amir to Johnson, OUT, pinpoint yorker from Aamer, strikes Johnson on the back foot! Huge appeal, Asad Rauf thinks about it for a long time and eventually raises the finger! Brave decision, that looked to be sliding very leg-stumpy
MG Johnson lbw b Mohammad Amir 0 (7m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
END OF OVER:18 | 11 Runs 1 Wkt | AUS: 139/8 (24 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 7.72, RRR: 12.00)
- Dirk Nannes2 (2b)
- Mitchell Johnson0 (0b)
- Umar Gul3-0-29-1
- Saeed Ajmal4-0-26-1
17.6
0
Umar Gul to Nannes, no run, driven down to long-off, they decide against the single though to keep Johnson on strike
17.6
1w
Umar Gul to Nannes, 1 wide, bouncer! Nannes ducks underneath it, but he didn't even have to, that ballooned over him and is rightfully called wide
17.5
2
Umar Gul to Nannes, 2 runs, great fielding from Saeed Ajmal! Nannes inside edges to fine leg, that looked like four all the way but Ajmal charged round and threw his body down to stop it, keeping the ball inside the rope
17.4
W
Umar Gul to MEK Hussey, OUT, Hussey goes! Gul strikes! Edgbaston erupts! Hussey gets low down and attempts the reverse-sweep, but is struck on the front pad on the line of off stump. Gul has rent the skies of Birmingham with the appeal, and the umpire agrees. Good decision, that would've taken out middle and leg
MEK Hussey lbw b Umar Gul 25 (21m 14b 4x4 0x6) SR: 178.57
17.3
0
Umar Gul to MEK Hussey, no run, what a response! Gul comes round the wicket to Hussey and fires in a yorker right at the toes, aimed straight at leg stump. The best Hussey can do is dig it out back to the bowler
17.2
4
Umar Gul to MEK Hussey, FOUR, four more! Hussey is playing so intelligently here, he would've seen that field change and clips a leg-stump half-volley out behind square on the leg side, right between the fielders! Gul under pressure now
Fine leg is pushed back to the rope now. Midwicket comes in to the circle
17.1
4
Umar Gul to MEK Hussey, FOUR, shot! Edgbaston falls silent as Hussey paddles a length ball very fine, wide of the short fine leg fielder for four!
Gul has two left, Aamer one, and they should be the ones to bowl out here. Yes, it'll be Gul to bowl the 18th and 20th.
END OF OVER:17 | 8 Runs 1 Wkt | AUS: 128/7 (35 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.52, RRR: 11.66)
- Michael Hussey17 (10b)
- Mitchell Johnson0 (0b)
- Saeed Ajmal4-0-26-1
- Mohammad Amir3-0-22-2
16.6
1
Saeed Ajmal to MEK Hussey, 1 run, cracked wide of long-off, just the single though as Hussey will want to keep the strike
16.5
W
Saeed Ajmal to O'Keefe, OUT, this is an interesting one... the ball squirts behind square on the leg side off an inside edge and Hussey charges through for the single, O'Keefe is late to respond to the call as the throw is fired to the non-striker's end. Ajmal collects and breaks the stumps, but lets go of the ball as he does ... tough one for the third umpire... That's out! He only let go of the ball after the stumps were disturbed. Huge cheer from the crowd as the decision came up on the big screen!
SNJ O'Keefe run out 5 (10m 8b 1x4 0x6) SR: 62.50
16.4
0
Saeed Ajmal to O'Keefe, no run, appeal for a stumping! Ajmal went fuller, and beat the edge as O'Keefe looked to run the ball down to third man. He dragged his foot forward as Kamran collected and whipped the bails off, but kept his foot grounded inside the crease. Not out.
16.3
4
Saeed Ajmal to O'Keefe, FOUR, four runs for O'Keefe! His first in international cricket, and it's a decent one. Not a great ball from Ajmal, long-hop outside off and O'Keefe steps back to force through cover. Well-timed, and they boundary sweeper can't cut it off
