Saim powers Pak U-16 cricketers to victory

ISLAMABAD: Saim Ayub (161 not out and 56) powered Pakistan under-16 team to win back to back matches and level the six-match series against Australia 3-3 in Melbourne.

The series that concluded Friday, saw Pakistan winning the last T20 match (part of six-match series) by seven wickets.

Earlier, in the last one-day match Thursday Pakistan overpowered Australia by two wickets. In the standalone Twenty20, which followed five one-day matches, Pakistan scored a seven-wicket win with 16 balls to spare. Australia lost the toss and was sent in, with all five batsmen at the top of the order scoring 20 or more runs.

Yash Pednekar (37 off 26) and Sam Rahaley (37 off 42) were the equal top-scorers for Australia, with Jet Liebke (24 off 11), Jake Fraser-McGurk (21 off 16) and Brock Larance (20 off 14) all making starts.

The hosts compiled 5-151 from their 20 overs.

In reply, Saim Ayub followed up his unbeaten 161 in the fifth one-day match with 56 off 42 deliveries at the top of the order. Malik Nawaz (39 off 26) and Syed Mohammed Rizvi (22 not out off 17) also made important contributions. Ayub finished the series as the leading run-scorer with 281 runs from six innings.

Pednekar was Australia's top scorer with 211 runs at an average of 42.2. Pakistan's Zaman Khan and Australia's Tanveer Sangha shared the leading wicket-taker honours, with eight wickets each.

Earlier, a century to keeper-batsman Jet Liebke was not enough to see Australia under 16s to victory, with Pakistan scoring a final-over win in the fifth one-day match at the CitiPower Centre Melbourne.

The win sees Pakistan reduce the series deficit to 3-2, ahead of Friday's Twenty20 clash to round out the series.

Australia won the toss and elected to bat in Game 5, posting 5-258 from their 50 overs.

Queenslander Liebke (101 off 141 deliveries) was the mainstay of the innings, blasting nine fours and two sixes after opening the innings.

He found strong support from fellow opener Kyle Brazell (57 off 83) from South Australia, and first-drop Yash Pednekar (58 off 58) from Victoria.

Liebke and Brazell combined for a 134-run opening partnership, before Liebke and Pednekar combined for another 94 runs. Jake Fraser-McGurk (15 not out off nine) provided a late cameo.

In reply, Saim Ayub was the star for Pakistan, smashing an unbeaten 161 off just 151 deliveries to carry his bat through the innings. Ayub cleared the fence on five occasions, scoring more than 60 per cent of his team's runs. Hassan Kiani (35 off 50) also made a strong contribution, as Pakistan won with four balls to spare.

Queensland's Will Sanders claimed 4-50 to be the pick of the Australian bowlers.

T20 match: Australia 151 for 5 in 20 overs (Y Pedneker 37, SS Rahaley 37, Aliyan Mehmood 2-25, Saad bin Yousaf 1-21)

Pakistan 154 for 3 (Saim Ayub 56, Mubashir Nawaz 39, Tanvir Sagha 1-25)

Fifth one-day: Australia 258 for 5 in 50 overs (J Liebke 101, Y Pedneker 58, K Brasell 57, Saad bin Yousaf 2-43)

Pakistan 269 for 8 in 49.2 overs (Saim Ayub 161 not out, W Sanders 4-50).