September 05  
Pakistan go down to another abject defeat by Australia 

NAIROBI: Australian captain Ricky Ponting (L) watches as Pakistan's Younis Khan fields a ball during their tri-nation series match on September 4, 2002

NAIROBI: Australia scored a hat trick of wins here Wednesday by thrashing Pakistan by nine wickets in the fifth match of the triangular one-day tournament, making the world champions favourite to win the title.  In their third victory in as many contests, the world champions scored the 118 runs in 19.1 overs.  Pakistan had earlier been bowled out for a paltry 117 in 32.3 overs.

After an early lapse when opener Adam Gilchrist was bowled by Waqar Younis for 15, Hayden, a centurion against the same side last Thursday, steadied their innings to make 59 with excellent stroke play off 48 balls.

Hayden raced to his 50 when he hit Azar Mahmood for a four in the 16th over with the score at 104 for one.

Hayden received good support from his captain Ricky Ponting who retired hurt with 21 and Damien Martyn who contributed 20 runs. 

Waqar was the only enterprising Pakistan bowler capturing one wicket for 26 while Abdur Razzaq was the most expensive, being hit for 46 and no wickets to his name. 

Razzaq came in to bowl after his fellow fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was forced to retire with a nagging knee injury after only 13 minutes. 

Struggling Pakistan surprisingly left out veteran bowler and former skipper Wasim Akram. 

Misdah-ul-Haq headed Pakistan's scoreboard, notching up 39 runs before being caught by Gilchrist off Gillespie. 

Younis Khan, Razzaq and Shahid Afridi all returned to the pavillion with ducks. 

Australia are now strong favourites to win the title when they play Pakistan again in the final on Saturday. 

Ponting told journalists after the match that he and Hayden both expected to be on the field Saturday.

"Matthew and I will be seeing the physiotherapist tonight and hopefully we will be fit for the final," Ponting told a news conference.

He did not specify whether they would start the tournament's penultimate match against hosts Kenya on Thursday whom they sent crashing to its lowest ever one-day international score of 84 on Monday. 

The Pakistan camp have an equal share of injury problems with Aktar and Inzamam-ul-Haq doubtful for the final. 

It has not been smooth sailing for the Pakistanis in their Golden Jubilee tri-series with members of the country's cricket board expressing their disappointment with the team's performance. 

"Personally I am not happy with the way they have been playing," said Zakir Khan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) general manager in charge of cricket operations. 

"Pakistan is trying very hard and it has been a bit too much," accepted Younis. 

"Poor batting and poor shots have cost us matches against Australia. I have been trying to prevent us losing wickets early on and it is proving to be very difficult. 

"However we are capable of changing the losing trend when Inzamam returns to batting again," added Younis.