Pakistan thrash Australia

EXPERIENCED batsmen Aamir Sohail and Ijaz Ahmed scored half-centuries and Saqlain Mushtaq snared three wickets and two run outs as Pakistan thrashed Australia by four wickets in a one-day international in Sydney yesterday.

Before a festive New Year's Day crowd of 37,476, Wasim Akram's Pakistanis won with the luxury of 27 balls to spare after reaching 203 for six in reply to Australia's 199 from 47.1 overs.

Sohail, who surprisingly missed out on man-of-the-match honours to Australian Shane Warne despite taking two wickets and two catches, hit 52 off 97 balls, while Ijaz clubbed 58 off 83 balls to set Pakistan on the way to their comprehensive victory.

The Australians, who did not bat out their 50 overs and struggled to reach 199, were rocked by a savage onslaught at the start of Pakistan's innings by ebullient teenage opener Shahid Afridi who cracked 34 off 27 balls, including four successive fours.

Earlier Saqlain led a four-pronged Pakistani spin attack, claiming 3-23 off 7.1 overs and brilliantly running out Australian captain Mark Taylor (11) and Tom Moody (4) with direct, throws away from the wicket.

Pakistan joined Australia at the head of the triangular series standings with two wins each, although Akram's men have played a game less. The third team, the West Indies, have one win from three games, and play Pakistan in Brisbane tomorrow.

It was Pakistan's second victory over Australia in the limited over series, which concludes with a best-of-three final later this month.

One of the few plusses for the Australians was the form of legspinner Warne, who captured two wickets in his first over and played a lone hand with 4-37 as Australia used eight bowlers to try and defend a modest total.

Seamer Paul Reiffel broke down with a hamstring strain in his fourth over and joins a growing list of Australian strike bowlers out of action this season.

Young South Australian paceman Jason Gillespie succumbed to a side strain after just three overs of the third Test loss to the West Indies in Melbourne last week.

Earlier, Steve Waugh's 42 was the best of an ordinary Australian batting effort. Adding to their woes, captain Mark Taylor made just 11 and has made one 50 all season and only one in his last 22

first-class innings.

Australia crashed from 154 for four to 165 for seven in the 38th over.

In an embarrassing dismissal for tall Australian all rounder Tom Moody, Afridi thought he had Moody Ibw and was still vociferously appealing when Saqlain pounced on the ball at short third man.

His 40-metre throw hit the stumps at the bowler's end as Moody pulled up short thinking there was a certain overthrow only to be run out.

Mark Taylor said Australia, who have won only two of their last 10 one-dayers, were about 30 runs short of a winning total.

"It's the same problem for the last week or so - too many 20s or 30s or 40s and no one making a big score," he said.

"It's another one-day game and we don't want to get too intense about it." His main concern was the injury toll.

"Losing two frontline bowlers in the space of 10 days is not too good," Taylor said. "The initial report (for Reiffel) is 10 days (out)."

Meanwhile, winning skipper Wasim Akram said Australia needed to play one extra strike bowler. Australia bats Tom Moody at seven but he only bowled two overs.

"Any non-regular bowler in a pressure game is going to go for five an over," he said. "I think you would rather have five pure batsmen and four bowlers than three allrounders who can do a bit."