Second Twenty20 international, Edgbaston:
Pakistan 162-9 (20 ovs) beat Australia 151 (19.4 ovs) by 11 runs
Match scorecard

By Oliver Brett

Michael Clarke tangles with Mohammad Aamer after being dismissed

Pakistan wrapped up the Twenty20 series against Australia with a confident 11-run win at Edgbaston.

Again batting first, Pakistan produced no more than a decent score of 162-9 before the bowlers turned on the style, dismissing the Aussies for 151.

With only one major stand, James Hopes (30) and David Hussey (33) putting on 50 from 44 balls, Australia lost too many wickets at vital times.

Mohammad Aamer again excelled with the ball, taking 3-27 for Pakistan.

The game was similar in many ways to Monday's opening encounter at the same venue in Birmingham.

But whereas on that occasion Pakistan's total of 167-8 relied heavily on Umar Akmal's rapid 64, this time his brother Kamran was the top scorer with 33, while a number of others provided handy cameo contributions.

The Aussies bowled well, particularly debutant slow left-armer Steve O'Keefe who took 3-29 in his four overs, with the important wicket of Salman Butt - caught sweeping for 31 - his first victim.

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Dirk Nannes (3-30) and David Hussey, who began with a wicket maiden in figures of 1-16 from three overs, also performed with plenty of credit.

Pakistan kept veteran paceman Shoaib Akhtar in their side despite a disappointing 0-17 in two overs on Monday.

Bowling with more zip and greater accuracy, Shoaib returned 1-29 in his four overs, keeping the brakes on and getting his overs out of the way early to allow Aamer, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal to share the last five overs with plenty of runs still needed by the Aussies.

After three wickets had fallen in the first four overs, despite an unusually rapid 30 from 17 balls by Michael Clarke, Australia always looked under pressure with the bat.

Hopes and Hussey set up an exciting finale, and although Gul generally had a rare off-day, he picked up the vital wicket of Australia's "finisher" Michael Hussey when trapping the left-hander leg before wicket.

That left 24 needed from the last two overs, with just two wickets in hand. Despite a couple of meaty blows from Nannes, the Aussies were unlikely to get over the line now, and the match came to an end when Shaun Tait was run out with two balls remaining.

"I was very happy with the way the boys performed with the ball. Once again, we did well to restrict Pakistan to that type of score on a very fast outfield and a pretty good wicket.

"It was disappointing once again with the bat. We lost wickets at important stages and couldn't build a partnership at the top and again through the middle," said Australia skipper Clarke.

The sides now turn their attention to Test cricket for a two-match series, which starts at Lord's next Tuesday.

"I think these two wins are really going to help us get momentum.

"Test matches are a different ball game fair enough, but with victory behind you, it always helps," said Pakistan coach Waqar Younis.

"We are looking to bring more youngsters in and rebuild. Umar Akmal is extraordinary, then we also have Mohammad Aamer.

"We have got a couple of other youngsters in Umar Amin and Wahab Riaz there so we are thinking of putting them in the Test matches and seeing how they come out."

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