Pakistan wins first 20-overs-a-side international

Pakistan has beaten New Zealand by five runs in the first 20-overs-a-side international at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad.

It happened on November 23, 1984. Bad weather delayed the start of the game, which was set at twenty overs for each team when it finally got under way. Pakistan made 157 for 5, New Zealand were held to 152 for 7.

Despite Mudassar Nazar’s four-over haul of 4/27, it was Saleem Malik (41 from 40 balls) who was named Man of the Match. See the scorecard for further details.

There were no silly names like “Twenty20” in those days. Remember this as New Zealand faces Australia for its second 20-overs international in two decades tomorrow at Eden Park.

Congratulations Bangladesh!

^BAN_ZIM: 64.2 Enamul Haque jnr to Mpofu, OUT: Allover! tosses up, outside off and spins away, tries to defends it on the front foot, gets the outside edge and Ashraful takes a good sharp catch at silly point
^BAN_ZIM: Zimbabwe 154/10, Partnership of 9
^BAN_ZIM: CB Mpofu c Mohammad Ashraful b Enamul Haque jnr 5 (9b 1×4 0x6)
^BAN_ZIM: DT Hondo 6* (12b 1×4) Enamul Haque jnr 22.2-5-45-6 (4nb)
^BAN_ZIM: That’s it, Bangladesh won this match by 226 runs
^BAN_ZIM: Bangladesh have made history – a first Test win after a long wait

(Text commentary from Wisden CricInfo. Full transcript)

Congratulations Bangladesh on their first Test victory.

Bangladesh on the brink of history

As I write this, Bangladesh are four wickets away from their first-ever Test win. It might be tempting to think that a win over a youthful Zimbabwean eleven cheapens the honour a bit, but I for one am not going to scoff at that. Cricket should be expanding its constituency, not clinging on to an exclusive post-imperial elite club. As with the inauguration of the ICC Intercontinental Cup last year, a Bangladesh Test win can only be a positive in expanding the game’s horizons.

Zimbabwe currently 126/6 in their second innings in the pre-lunch session on day five. Live ball-by-ball commentary on IRC at irc://cricinfo.lo.uk.starlink.org/cricket. Live scorecard at CricInfo or, if that’s getting a bit overloaded while the charity game in Melbourne is on, Ananova