BBC SPORT | Cricket | Pakistan struggle for win

Kenya Tri-series, 1st ODI: Pakistan 134-6 (33.3 overs) beat Kenya 133 all out (30.3 overs) by four wickets

Pakistan made hard work of beating Kenya by four wickets in the opening match of the triangular series in Nairobi.

Chasing just 134 to win after dismissing Kenya in 30.3 overs, Pakistan lost two wickets in the first four overs.

Further wickets tumbled before Inzamam-ul Haq and Rashid Latif saw Pakistan home, Latif hitting a six to finish the match in the 34th over of the reply.

Latif ended 28 not out off 22 balls, while Inzamam was 14 not out in an unbeaten partnership of 37 - the highest of the innings.

Abdur Razzaq and Wasim Akram were the best of the visiting bowlers, Razzaq taking four for 35 and Akram three for 29 after Kenya had been put into bat.

Opener Kennedy Otieno Obuya top-scored with a battling 36 for the hosts.

Thomas Odoyo bowls Abdur Razzaq
But Odoyo got his own back, bowling Razzaq
Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis began the rout, trapping Ravindu Shah lbw in the fourth over for two.

Wasim then claimed three quick wickets, including skipper Steve Tikolo lbw for a duck third ball, leaving Kenya on 30 for four in the ninth over.

Obuya and Hitesh Modi steadied the innings and increased the run rate, taking Kenya past 100 in the 19th over.

But Modi was forced off the field after being hit on the finger by fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.

Modi had made 34 off 32 balls as he and Obuya shared a partnership of 71.

Razzaq bowled Kennedy Obuya in the 24th over, and Modi came back on to the field but was caught behind by Latif off the same bowler one over later without adding to his score.

But Pakistan's reply was equally chaotic, with Saeed Anwar was out for a duck in the first over and Imran Nazir bowled for 13 shortly afterwards.

Shahid Afridi blasted a quickfire 27, including two huge sixes and three fours, but became Martin Suji's second victim when he was caught in the ninth over.

Anwar came back into the side, covering for Yousuf Youhana, who was sent home on Monday.

PCB makes peace with Youhana

Pakistan play Australia, the third team in the competition, on Friday.

The teams face each other twice, with the top two battling it out in the final on 7 September.

Kenya: Kennedy Obuya, Ravindu Shah, Steve Tikolo (captain), Thomas Odoyo, Maurice Odumbe, Hitesh Modi, David Obuya, Collins Obuya, Tony Suji, Martin Suji, Joseph Angara.

Pakistan: Imran Nazir, Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Abdur Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Rashid Latif, Waqar Younis (captain), Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan), Rudi Koertzen (South Africa)


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