BBC SPORT | Cricket | Shoaib shines in Pakistan win

First Test, Harare, day four: Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 119 runs

Shoaib Akhtar and Saqlain Mushtaq took seven second-innings wickets between them as Zimbabwe failed to take the first Test into the final day.

Facing the all-but-impossible task of scoring 430 to win, Zimbabwe managed to reach lunch on Tuesday in decent shape on 154 for two.

But from that point, Shoaib, the world's fastest bowler, and key off-spinner Saqlain got stuck into the home team's batting to hasten victory for the touring side.

Dion Ebrahim and Grant Flower added 111 for the third wicket, but their partnership ended in the fourth over after lunch.

Saqlain bowled plenty of long spells

Ebrahim chose to leave a delivery from Shoaib that reverse swung and uprooted middle stump.

Flower then went fishing down the leg side to a delivery from Saqlain and was caught behind, both men falling for 69.

In Saqlain's next over Guy Whittall edged a high bouncing delivery to Younis Khan at slip to be dismissed for just two as the collapse gathered pace.

Shoaib and Waqar Younis took the final few wickets to fall.

A rally of sorts was established either side of tea as Andy Flower (67) and Tatenda Taibu (28) held firm to put on 53 for the sixth wicket.

But 256-5 became 310 all out as Waqar won two lbw decisions and Shoaib did the remaining damage.

There was just time for the "Rawalpindi Express" to take the second new ball, which he promptly used to bowl Henry Olonga - and that ended the Zimbabwean resistance.

Zimbabwe:A D R Campbell (Capt), A Flower (Wkt), D D Ebrahim, H Masakadza, G W Flower, G J Whittall, T Taibu, A M Blignaut, N B Mahwire, R W Price, H K Olonga.

Pakistan: Waqar Younis (Capt), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Taufeeq Umar, Saleem Elahi, Yousuf Youhana, Hasan Raza, Younis Khan Kamran Akmal (Wkt), Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Saqlain Mushtaq.


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