Cricket: Tourists crumble against A team

New Zealand A took just 25 minutes to inflict an embarrassing innings and 54 run-defeat over Pakistan on the final day of their three-day cricket tour match at Bert Sutcliffe Oval near Christchurch yesterday.

Chris Drum and Andrew Penn took five wickets for 16 runs between them as Pakistan plummeted from 108 for four overnight to be all out for 124 in the space of 27 balls.

Pakistan sorely missed experienced opener Saeed Anwar, who did not bat after injuring his groin while fielding on Sunday.

He was still walking gingerly yesterday, and has just two days to recover before the first test at Eden Park.

Drum ended with eight wickets for the match after second innings figures of four for 42, while Penn took three wickets yesterday morning to end with four for 44 and seven for the match.

Pakistan coach Javed Miandad was surprised at how quickly the match ended, but said there were factors against his team.

"This team was only young, a few players have just come from Pakistan, so clearly they will find it difficult to adjust," Miandad said. "This wicket was different from the one-day wickets. If you go from one-day cricket to this, obviously you will struggle."

Pakistan trailed by 70 runs at the start of yesterday's play, but in the third over Penn took wickets in successive balls when he bowled Younis Khan for four then had Mushtaq Ahmed caught by Lou Vincent at third slip.

Stand-in captain Waqar Younis survived the hat-trick ball but in the next over Drum removed Saqlain Mushtaq and Arshad Khan in the space of four balls.

Saqlain had a wild swing and was bowled and Arshad suffered the same fate as he tried to turn the ball to leg.

Pakistan's misery was sealed in the next over when Mohammad Sami edged Penn to Glen Sulzberger at first slip.

- NZPA