It aint over ’till mr cricket swings
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Micheal Hussey’s late-order fireworks sealed a stunning come-from-behind thriller for Australia, who beat defending champions Pakistan by three wickets to enter their maiden World T20 Championship final here on Friday.
Brothers Kamran (50, 34b) and Umar Akmal (56 not out, 35b) fired in tandem, setting Australia an imposing 192 to win. In reply, Australia took the issue to the wire on the back of Cameron White’s 31-ball 43, before No. 7 Hussey put on 53 runs off just 17 balls with tailender Micheal Johnson to seal the win on the last ball of the game.
Needing 18 to win from the 20th over, Hussey took two sixes off the second and third ball and a four from the fourth, before finishing it off with a another massive hit over the long-on fence.
Australia, unbeaten in the tournament, face England in the summit clash at the Kensington Oval in Bridetown, Barbados, on Sunday, the latter having beaten Sri Lanka by seven wickets on Thursday.
Earlier, in an innings that began with a Dirk Nannes maiden, opener Kamran made exactly 50 before big-hitting younger brother Umar followed up with a blistering 56 not out as Pakistan made 191/6.
Pakistan, sent in by Australia captain Michael Clarke after rain delayed the scheduled start and threatened to bring the Duckworth-Lewis system, thought to favour the side batting second, into play, made a fine start.
Kamran and left-hander Salman Butt (32) shared a first-wicket stand of 82 as Australia’s pace trio of Nannes, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson failed to make an early breakthrough.
That gave Pakistan the platform to cash in against Australia’s second-string bowlers with all-rounder Shane Watson’s two overs costing 26 runs and leg-spinner Steven Smith conceding 23 from two.
Even Australia’s normally fine fielding became ragged by the end, with usually tidy keeper Brad Haddin conceding 10 byes in an extras total of 20.
Nannes’s second over saw the match’s first boundaries when Kamran Akmal, stepping away to leg, lofted him high over the covers. Next ball Akmal drove Nannes straight down the ground for another four. Butt then twice square cut Tait for two boundaries in as many balls.
Akmal then pulled Tait down to fine leg as 13 runs came in the fourth over.
First change Johnson, like Nannes a left-arm quick, was then carved high over point by Butt.
At the end of the six-over powerplay, Pakistan were 40 without loss. It was then that Clarke turned to Smith and his third ball was edged over short third man for four by Kamran.
But a far cleaner strike off the bowler’s fifth delivery saw Akmal clear long-off with a six as Pakistan took 15 runs off the over.
Smith was replaced after an over by Watson but his first ball back was driven for a huge straight six by Kamran.
The latter, giving himself room, then cover-drove the fifth ball of the over from the all-rounder for four and, off the last, cut the medium pacer for another boundary to complete a fine fifty, his fifth at this level, off just 32 balls with two sixes and six fours. — Agencies
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