Coming to you from the MCG is Australia vs Pakistan in the CUB one day series. I started the game, won the toss and batted. However I then discovered that the button on my keyboard next to F12, which happens to be the screenshot button, put the computer to sleep. So.... I restarted and luckily Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl. Please note that every screenshot was taken with extreme danger!
A fearful bowling lineup of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Ahktar and Saqlain Mushtaq starts off.
Gilly is solid early
But is too late on one and we're 1-26
Punter puts one down the throat of fine-leg and we're 2-33
Pakistan, obviously intimidated by new technology in 1998, blows a review
But the wickets tumble
Losing Bevan was bad enough but it's real panic stations when Mark Waugh falls for 43 and we're 6-87, staring down the barrel at a pretty small score
The incredibly good looking Brendan Julian comes in and decides to attack the bowling...
... and the ladies
Steve Bucknor approves
It's generally tough going through, scratching runs when we can and a dearth of boundaries
But with Julian and Lehmann we push on to 126 before Wasim strikes!
The tail digs in with Warney joining Julian
But Wasim can do it all...
A trademark McGrath pull shot
and dive
Ultimately we scratch our way to 169, which is disappointing overall but pleasing from the tail
Pakistan start off with Anwar and a very young BOOM BOOM Afridi
Afridi: gee, the ball tastes good.
Gilly: really? let's give it a try
And this is what you get for dropping BOOM BOOM
But Punter doesn't make the same mistake
Australia only has 4 main bowlers and a bunch of part-timers so we commence the Greg Blewett right arm dibbly-dobblers
Which were way too tempting (and slow) for Ijaz Ahmed
B-B-B-BOWLIN SHANE! So close... I'm actually impressed he managed to miss the bat AND the body of Inzaman
Direct hit and a runout, of the AI!!!
Here is the state of play. Pakistan is going along much slower than Aus but with wickets in hand.
Although this changes as Inzy spoons this one to cover
And Akram spoons this sweep off Warney
Moin Khan is batting well but slowly with the tail. Julian comes on for some vital overs and gets a wicket but NOOOO
But he makes up for it a couple of balls later when the Bowlologist catches Khan in the deep
and gives an appropriate fist pump
It's getting tight so we need metronomic bowling like this
and cracking leggies like this
It's well setup. 26 needed off 18 with 2 wickets in hand. Waqar Younis has been at the crease for a while. Overs from McGrath (2) and Fleming to come.
Pakistan get off a couple of shots (also just note how beautiful the graphics are here)
But ultimately it's a bridge too far and Australia win with ten runs to spare
A very disappointing chase by Pakistan but superb bowling by Australia, particularly at the end. Mark Waugh was awarded MoM for his top score but for me Warney's 3-39 off 10 was game-changing. Also special credit to Greg Blewett's 10 overs 1-22 which was a worry going into the game since we were sans all-rounder.
Didn't expect that I would manage to take that catch in slips & after taking it, did not realize that I should appeal. Moment I realized this, I pressed the throw button instead of appeal accidentally & then managed to press the upper arrow somehow.
