Pakistan 303 for 6 (Ghulam 103, Shafique 50, Raza 2-47) batted Zimbabwe 204 (Ervine 51, Bennett 37, Ayub 2-29) by 99 runs

While rain was in the forecast today, the skies were clear as Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat. Although not quite carrying on at the blistering pace they had set on Tuesday, Saim Ayub and Shafique got Pakistan off to a flying start, bringing up the 50 partnership within 11 overs. But Ayub fell short after miscuing his trademark shot as he picked up Faisal Akram over deep backward square leg, straight to Clive Madande on the boundary.

Ghulam was unsure early and nearly got one straight back to Sean Williams off his eighth ball. When Williams dragged one down the following over, however, Ghulam smashed it over deep midwicket for six and that seemed to set him free. Alongside Shafique, he helped Pakistan tick over at a steady if unspectacular rate, the 100 coming up in 22 overs. However, Sikandar Raza broke that stand soon after, catching Shafique in front when he miscued his sweep just after reaching his half-century.

Rizwan and Ghulam combined to put together the biggest partnership of the innings, but even as the batting conditions flattened out, the expected rise in the scoring rate did not follow. Rizwan in particular was running at a strike rate of just over 50 off his first 25 balls, leaving Ghulam to push through the gears. He liked Brian Bennett and forced him out of the attack after taking 27 off his two overs. Zimbabwe reigned the visitors back again with Williams and Akram before Raza gave his team the breakthrough. Rizwan had lifted him for six over long-on off a miscue and when he tried again on the next delivery, Dion Myers had a simple catch.

Ghulam was now busy with three figures. Akram was dispatched for successive boundaries before a long bounce from Raza was put away to midwicket to bring up the ton. Zimbabwe finally threatened to accelerate but Richard Ngarava removed Ghulam soon after in an attempt to get them back on track.

It was in the 46th over that the wheels finally came off for Zimbabwe. Akram’s over saw six wides, a no-ball, two fours and a six as 23 came off it and Pakistan were suddenly looking at 300. Even Blessing Muzarabani was not spared, he was taken for 24 in his last two overs as Pakistan drove over. 300 mark, and takes all the momentum with it to the break.

Pakistan had to wait until just the third over to strike, doing so twice in Ayub’s over. Joylord Gumbie and Myers batted separately in an attempt to keep the run rate up and it was an approach Zimbabwe continued with even as wickets fell at regular intervals.

Tadiwanashe Marumani didn’t last long but was belligerent for as long as he did and was unlucky to be given out before Abrar Ahmed where the ball probably went down leg. Sean Williams briefly picked up the run-scoring baton, taking the attack to Agha Salman and Abrar after the end of the first powerplay, while Ervine hit Haris Rauf for a couple of boundaries in what proved to be a threatening partnership for Pakistan.

But like any Zimbabwean partnership, it ended far too early to allow them to build any real pressure. Williams was done with extra pace from Haris as he chopped on and that would mark the start of a Zimbabwean rollercoaster.

The biggest scare Pakistan got was from suddenly converging clouds before the 20th over had been bowled, but on the field wickets started falling in clusters. Zimbabwe still picked up boundaries pretty much every time, with Ervine bringing up his half-century with an errant sweep from Faisal Akram.

But the end was near for him. He was dismissed when Tayyab Tahir fired the simplest of chances at midwicket, but Aamer Jamal would not be denied, leading him to pull on a short delivery later in the over. He backed that up by dismissing Raza in his follow-up, Zimbabwe looked to be on the receiving end of a major defeat.

Those blushes were somewhat spared by an entertaining attack from Bennett, who took on the spinners with great succession in an exciting cameo that kept the Bulawayo faithful engaged. However, it was not to last and when he failed Abrar Ahmed after a 27-ball 37, any realistic hope the hosts harbored was gone.

Clive Madande and Ngarava soldiered on for a while and ensured that Zimbabwe crossed 200 and kept the defeat in double figures. But Pakistan would not be denied an emphatic victory, Faisal Akram and Rauf removing the last two off consecutive balls either side of the 40th over to make the victory official.