Pakistan beat Zimbabwe in 3rd ODI, win series

Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 28 runs to clinch the series 3-0 at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.
Aizaz Cheema took 4/43 to help restrict the hosts to 242 for nine in 50 overs, after the two openers, Vusi Sibanda (59) and Chamu Chibhabha (61), put on 110 for the first wicket to give the hosts the best platform to chase the 271 required for victory.
Pakistan won the first two internationals and got off to a spectacular start with Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat scoring 32 runs off the first three overs.
However on a batsmen friendly pitch Zimbabwe managed to turn the screw and slow Pakistan’s run rate, which climaxed at 270 in their 50 overs.
Despite their promising start Hafeez and Farhat both mistimed attempts for boundaries and were caught, Hafeez by Malcolm Waller off Brian Vitori for 23 and Farhat by Chamu Chibhabha off Elton Chigumbura for 37.
With the score standing at 76-2 and the run rate dropping to about five an over from then on, Zimbabwe held the fort well although Assad Shafiq and Younis Khan put on 97 for the third wicket without undue haste as the score steadily mounted.
Shafiq made 51 — his fifth half-century — before being stumped by Tatenda Taibu off Ray Price. Khan was looking to secure his seventh ODI century but he was caught and bowled Kyle Jarvis with a diving effort for 81. It was his 44th half century in one day internationals.
Zimbabwe had hopes for a breakthrough at that stage and Shoaib Malik only accrued 14 before being caught and bowled by Chigumbura, who made amends for dropping Khan when he was on 56. Misbah ul Haq and Adnan Akmal in his unorthodox fashion moved the scoreboard briskly along to the final 270-5 with 29 and 24 respectively.
Apart from a poor start, the Zimbabwe bowlers were better than in recent matches, Chigumbura especially tight and successful with 2-36 in nine overs.