Tour Match: Nicky Oppenheimer XI v Pakistan at Randjesfontein, 3 Dec 2002 CricInfo Live Report

Tour Match: Nicky Oppenheimer XI v Pakistan at Randjesfontein, 3 Dec 2002
Keith Lane

Nicky Oppenheimer XI innings: 17 Overs,
Nicky Oppenheimer XI 1st innings: Bad Light,
Pakistanis 1st innings: 25 Overs, 55 Overs,
Pre-game: Toss and Teams,

OPPENHEIMER XI HOLD ON FOR THE DRAW
With bad light ending play in the 48th over the Nicky Oppenheimer XI managed to hold on to a draw in their match against Pakistan at Randjesfontein in Midrand. Thanks to a fine undefeated 83 from Zander de Bruyn the hosts were 187/9 when the umpires called it a day.

Cullinan was involved in a bit of controvesy when edging Mohammad Sami to first slip sub Yousuf Youhana who claimed the catch. Cullinan stood, and the square leg umpire indicated that he thought it had bounced. Three balls and a boundary later Cullinan was clean bowled by Sami for 23.

Young Vaughn van Jaarsveld lasted two balls returning a caught and bowled chance to Sami before Albie Morkel and Zander de Bruyn got together for a 43 run partnership. The two Easterns players nearly getting the local team back into the game before Morkel was caught behind off Razzaq for 20.

Andre Nel (2) and Monde Zondeki (0) offered token opposition while Neil Fusedale stuck around for his eight runs, including a straight six off Shahid Afridi.

De Bruyn batted very well for his 50 and had it not been for him running out of partners he may well have taken the team to a victory, and a hundred. Applying himself to the task at hand his batting showing far more maturity than some of the more senior players in the team.

With bad light stopping play in the 48th over with the hosts on 187/9 the match ended in a draw.

CULLINAN STARTS RECOVERY AFTER EARLY WICKETS
The Oppenheimer batsmen found the going difficult against the pace of Mahammad Zahid and Mohammad Sami. Sami looking by far the quicker of the two but spoilt his first session with two wides and six no balls.

It was Zahid who struck twice with the wickets of Jacques Rudolph and Martin van Jaarsveld. Rudolph (0) received a ball that climbed on him gloving it to short leg diving forward for the catch. Van Jaarsveld (7) was lucky to be dropped on the third man boundary cutting a short ball but was out the very next ball cutting to backward point. Not the shot selection you would expect from a man trying to play his way into the World Cup squad.

Davey Jacobs, looking to be positive, paid the price when driving at Sami was caught behind for 18 and NFO XI 33 for three.

At drinks Daryl Cullinan (14) and Zander de Bryun (11) had moved the score to 61/3 after 17 overs.

PAKISTAN RECOVER THANKS TO RAZZAQ
Pakistan can thank Abdur Razzaq and Mohammad Sami for the recovery from 97/5 in the 24th over to finish the 55 overs on 229/9.

Shahid Afridi came to the wicket at the fall of the fifth wicket and after two lusty blows, one a big six to square leg off Kruger, he fell caught at third man cutting the same bowler down the fielders throat for 12 and Pakistan 109/6.

Rashid Latiff was very patient in rebuilding the innings, but in trying to sweep Neil Fusedale he was bowled round the legs for five. Wicket keeper Kamran Akmal suffered the same fate bowled by the slow left hander Fusedale for eight and Pakistan in deep trouble at 130/8.

With wickets falling around him Abdur Razzaq showed his class and experience and had the correct influence on Mohammad Sami to nurse the innings back to some respectability.

The fifty partnership came up in 70 balls and with five overs remaining the two at the crease set about the bowling of Fusedale with 19 runs coming off the 51st over.

The score had moved to 203 when Mohammad Sami forced a cut at a short ball from Nel to be well caught by Cullinan at backward point for 35 and a partnership of 73.

Razzaq had in the meantime gone to a well-deserved 50, one mixed with patience and aggression when required. An innings that will please the management definitely saved Pakistan some embarrassment.

At the end of the 55 overs Pakistan had scored 229/9 with Abdur Razzaq on 63 and Mohammad Zahid on 12.

PAKISTAN IN TROUBLE AT RANDJESFONTEIN
On a lively pitch in Randjesfontein Pakistan has made heavy weather of the first 25 overs to be in the troublesome position of 102/5.

The hosts took the field and soon captured the wicket of Taufeeq Umar caught behind without scoring off the bowling of Albie Morkel.

Saleem Elahi, with the Pakistan score on 27 was the second wicket to fall, pushing at a ball outside off to be caught in the slips off Monde Zondeki for 14.

With the extra bounce in the pitch and the 50 coming up in the 15th over, Misbah-ul-Haq top edged a pull to mid-wicket also off Zondeki to leave on 22.

The bounce also accounted for Younis Khan when he tried to pull Garnet Kruger and spooning the top edge to mid wicket for a short stay of 8 runs and Pakistan 73/4.

Soon it was five down with Faisal Iqbal who had stroked four neat boundaries pushing forward and being caught at point for 31 off the bowling of Kruger.

NICKY OPENHEIMER XI WIN TOSS
Pakistan, after a successful Zimbabwe campaign, starts their tour of South Africa with the traditional warm-up day match against a Nicky Openheimer XI and Randjesfontein.

With four of the NO XI included in the South African World Cup squad a stern test will await the visitors on their opening match in South Africa. With limited opportunities available Daryl Cullinan, Jacques Rudolph, Martin van Jaarsveld and Monde Zondeki will be out to impress the national selectors.

Daryl Cullinan won the toss and has asked Pakistan to bat first in this 55 over match

Pakistan: Rashid Latiff - captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, Taufeeq Umar, Younis Khan, Mohammad Sami, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Zahid, Abdul Razzaq, Saleem Elahi, Shahid Afridi, 12 th man Yousuf Youhana.

NOXI: DJ Cullinan - captain, JA Rudolph, M van Jaarsveld, GJP Kruger, JA Morkel, M Zondeki, A Nel, VB van Jaarsveld, D Jacobs, NA Fusedale, Z de Bruin, 12th man B Snijman.