Ponting looks NORTHward for victory!!!

What a dramatic end to this test!! No one, even North, could have believed him to be in the headlines for his bowling performances. Yes, a career bowling performance 6/55 from North with a support from 3/51 from debutant Smith as Pakistan hurtled to a defeat by 150 runs against Australia with more than a day to spare.

Set an improbable 440 for victory, Pakistan began their chase boldly through the efforts of Salman Butt, who made a fluent 92 in a 102-run stand for the second wicket with the debutant Azhar Ali, and at 152 for 1 with more than five sessions of the match remaining, there was an outside chance of a miracle taking place. But North's introduction transformed the contest shortly before lunch.

With his eyes lighting up as North floated his first delivery gently towards his pads, Butt toppled out of his crease to be stumped down the leg-side by Tim Paine, before Umar Akmal jabbed a lifter to slip on the stroke of lunch. With wickets continuing to slip away thereafter, the last vestige of Pakistani hope vanished when the captain Shahid Afridi slapped his fourth delivery down the throat of deep midwicket for 2 - a shot which doubtless contributed to his post-match declaration that next week's Headingley Test would be his last, as a player in Test match.

Umar Amin was impressively snaffled by the Man of the Match, Simon Katich at short leg, but in the same over, Afridi's hoick towards the Grandstand boundary was brainless in the extreme, as Mike Hussey steadied himself well to pouch a skier just inside the rope.


At 229 for 6, there was little hope of Pakistan coming back into the contest, let alone dig in for the draw, although Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Aamer defied their fading expectations in a 54-run stand for the seventh wicket than spanned 19 overs. But when Ricky Ponting freed up the leg-side boundary to tempt Akmal into a mow, the effect was instantaneous. Smith slipped in a quicker ball to peg back his middle stump, as the last four wickets tumbled for six runs in 26 deliveries.

The last rites came in a rush, but Pakistan had made Australia work hard for much of the day's play. After a confident start to a mountainous run-chase on Thursday evening, they had resumed on 114 for 1, still requiring an improbable 326 to make history and end a run of 12 consecutive defeats at the hands of the Aussies. But the overnight pair of Butt and Azhar showed no signs of anxiety as they racked up 48 runs in the first ten overs of the day under moderately overcast skies that always promised to clear up as the day progressed.


Butt, who resumed on 58 not out, was once again the main source of Pakistani optimism, as he cashed in on a wayward first spell from Mitchell Johnson to slash four fours over the covers in the space of 10 deliveries, before angling the first ball of Watson's spell through third man for another boundary. Following on from his first-innings 63, the innings briefly carried his Test average against Australia past the 50 mark.

The loss to Pakistan was on expected lines - (a) very young and inexperienced batsman, save for Salman Butt and to an extend Umar Akmal (b) long tail (c) Afridi, being resltess, opting for quick transformation in Test matches. Now that Afridi has retired from Test cricket, speakes about his dislike for Test cricket and now again opens up for a captaincy spot. Pakistan never gets settled in cricket too!!