Pakistan vs. Zimbabwe: Highlights, Scorecard, Report from Cricket World Cup

Pakistan held off the nerves—just about—to beat Zimbabwe by 20 runs and record their first win of the 2015 World Cup in Brisbane. 

Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first, but they were under pressure straight away and ultimately limped along to 235-7 from their 50 overs.

Zimbabwe were ahead of the required run rate for most of the innings but lost wickets at key junctures to keep the contest on a knife-edge, eventually all out in the final over for 215.

Pakistan had to win the game—a third straight defeat, and this time to a side not expected to progress to the knockout phase would have surely been devastating to their slim title hopes.

As it is, this result does little to suggest they will be contenders in the latter stages.

Batsman	Dismissal	Bowler	Runs	Mins	Balls
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Jamshed	c Raza	b Chatara	1	8	9
Shehzad	c Taylor	b Chatara	0	17	11
Sohail	c Williams	b Raza	27	86	44
Misbah-ul-Haq	c Williams	b Chatara	73	193	121
U Akmal		b Williams	33	53	42
Shahid Afridi		b Williams	0		2
Maqsood	c and b Mupariwa		21	19	17
Riaz	not out		54	55	46
Sohail Khan	not out		6	17	8
Extras	0nb 17w 0b 3lb	20
Total	for 7 (50.0 ovs)	235
Panyangara	10.0	1	49	0
Chatara	10.0	2	35	3
Mupariwa	8.0	1	36	1
Williams	10.0	1	48	2
H Masakadza	3.0	0	14	0
Chigumbura	1.0	0	7	0
Raza	7.0	0	34	1
Mire	1.0	0	9	0

They batted like a side acutely aware of the pressure, falling to 4-2 at the hands of Tendai Chatara. 

The recovery was long and painful—by the time Haris Sohail fell at 58-3, Pakistan had used up 20 overs and scored at less than three an over.

Captain Misbah-ul-Haq simply endured in the middle, his 73 a painstaking effort which required 121 balls but was the difference between Pakistan having a chance or falling away.

Umar Akmal threatened to break the shackles, but in one brilliant over from Sean Williams he bowled both Akmal and Shahid Afridi with flat deliveries which turned just enough.

An injection of life was needed and lower-order batsman Wahab Riaz provided it with a feisty 54, but 236 for victory looked achievable.

"

We're back on in Brisbane! #cwc15 #PAKvZIM https://t.co/q3Wnpld3uy

— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) March 1, 2015"

Batsman	Dismissal	Bowler	Runs	Mins	Balls
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Chibhabha	c Sohail	b Irfan	9	19	18
Raza	c Sohail	b Irfan	8	29	15
H Masakadza	c Misbah-ul-Haq	b Irfan	29	71	54
Taylor	c U Akmal	b Riaz	50	96	72
Williams	c Shehzad	b Rahat Ali	33	52	32
C Ervine	c U Akmal	b Riaz	14	45	29
Mire	c U Akmal	b Irfan	8	12	14
Chigumbura	c U Akmal	b Riaz	35	61	35
Mupariwa	c U Akmal	b Riaz	0		2
Panyangara	run out (Riaz)		10	44	28
Chatara	not out		0		0
Extras	1nb 13w 3b 2lb	19
Total	for 10 (49.4 ovs)	215
Irfan	10.0	2	30	4
Sohail Khan	10.0	0	45	0
Rahat Ali	10.0	0	37	1
Riaz	9.4	1	45	4
Shahid Afridi	10.0	1	53	0

Mohammad Irfan was the pick of the bowlers, cleaning up both openers before they reached double figures, and returning to end the promising partnership between Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor just as Zimbabwe started to settle.

Taylor, with assistance from Williams, had left themselves 108 more to chase in just over 20 overs when Taylor was strangled down the leg side.

That was a damaging blow to the momentum of the innings, though, as partnerships failed to blossom and Riaz collected three wickets.

At 168-8, and with captain Elton Chigumbura batting in spite of a suspected torn quadricep which severely limited his movement, the game seemed over.

But Pakistan have a habit of not closing out games, and Chigumbura was batting with remarkable bravery. 

"

Who's going to win? The crowd is divided #cwc15 #PAKvZIM https://t.co/04v95U4WUT

— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) March 1, 2015"

As the score moved past 200, the game appeared to be back in the balance, but a maiden from Afridi in the 47th over and a tight follow-up from Riaz left Zimbabwe chasing 28 in two overs—and it proved just too much.