The New Nation - Internet Edition

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Debutant Nasir Jamshed smashed a rapid 61 and four other batsmen hit fifties as Pakistan crushed Zimbabwe by 104 runs in the opening one-day match.

Jamshed hit three sixes, while Younis Khan (79), Mohammad Yousuf (72), Salim Malik (63) and Misbah-ul-Haq (55no) weighed in as the home side made 347-5.

Vusi Sibanda, Justice Chibabha and Sean Williams also hit fifties in reply.

But spinners Malik (3-34) and Shahid Afridi (2-33) bowled tightly to limit the tourists to 243-7 on a flat pitch.

Vusi Sibanda scored an entertaining fifty, well supported by Chamu Chibhabha, to lead Zimbabwe's aggressive reply in pursuit of a mammoth 348. Although a Zimbabwe win looks unlikely, batting practice is what the touring side will be looking for as they hope to play out the full quota of 50 overs. While Pakistan showed signs of complacency in the field, following their confident batting display, Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza, the two openers, got off to a confident start with Sibanda clipping Samiullah Khan over midwicket before dispatching Sohail Tanvir through extra cover. Zimbabwe were also gifted easy singles, as Pakistan stuttered in the field.

Tanvir induced an edge off Masakadza with Kamran Akmal taking a stunning one-handed catch. Undeterred, Sibanda drove Iftikhar Anjum - the fastest of the pace trio - twice down the ground to bring up his half-century from 51 balls. A mis-hit to mid-on, however, proved to be his downfall, handing Younis Khan a back-peddling catch.

Chibhabha, who was content to tick along with singles and twos, mostly through the leg-side, put on 27 with Tatenda Taibu before Taibu was trapped leg-before in Shahid Afridi's first over. At the halfway point, Zimbabwe were keeping in touch with the run-rate, though a win is surely out of their reach.

Put in on a batting-friendly track, Pakistan's batsmen tore into some ordinary Zimbabwe bowling to stack up an imposing 347 in the first ODI at the National Stadium in Karachi. Capitalising on a stunning 48-ball 61 by Nasir Jamshed, the debutant opener, Pakistan added 90 runs in the last ten overs and nearly matched the 349 they scored the last time these two met.

The total was truly a team effort, with five men posting half-centuries, a first for any ODI.

The powerful hitting began early with the 18-year-old Jamshed, fresh from thrashing the Zimbabwean attack for 182 in the preceding tour match, taking ten off the first over. Jamshed showed a liking for the midwicket boundary in the four-day match, but here showed his prowess on the opposite side of the ground, his immaculate timing fetching him not only six fours but three sixes as well.

While being responsible for Salman Butt's run out - turning a blind eye to his call for an easy single - Jamshed remained undeterred. Lofting an overpitching Christopher Mpofu straight over his head for six, Jamshed then followed that up with a driven six over extra cover to bring up his half-century off only 40 balls. With Jamshed in full flow - a pulled six over midwicket followed - Younis Khan remained content with singles, twos and the occasional deft touches.

As aggression finally got the better of Jamshed - caught at mid-off off a slower ball from Chamu Chibhabha - Younis found an old ally in the form of Mohammad Yousuf. The pair put on 113 from 99 deliveries as an inexperiened attack wilted. Supplied with plenty of half-trackers both batsmen collected regular boundaries.

Propser Utseya introduced himself into the attack in an attempt to slow the rate down, but Younis went on a rampage instead. He smashed Utseya over midwicket and swept him to square leg for boundaries before dispatching him over the sight screen to bring up his 50. Chibhabha, too, came under heavy attack as Younis dispatched him over cover twice to bring up the 100 partnership.

It was a case of score-as-you-please for Pakistan as Utseya failed to restrict the stroke play even as he regularly changed his bowlers. Ray Price accounted for Younis but, with Yousuf and a returning Shoaib Malik in no mood to take their time, the carnage continued. Price did manage to induce a false stroke from Yousuf as he was steaming towards his century but it was met with only mild celebrations. Any hope of restricting Pakistan was thwarted by the arrival of Misbah-ul-Haq.

Malik became the fourth batsman to score a fifty while Misbah continued his terrific form to finish unbeaten on 55. The total has left Zimbabwe virtually out of contention.