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Pakistan began their preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in spectacular fashion by beating Uganda by 148 runs in the first match of the Twenty20 Quadrangular in Nairobi.

Shahid Afridiís blistering 57 off 15 balls propelled Pakistan to 226, a target that proved too great for Uganda as they were restricted to 78 for 7.

Afridi hit seven sixes and three fours and helped blast 82 runs off only 26 deliveries with Salman Butt for the fourth wicket as Shoaib Malikís decision to bat first paid dividends.

Though Pakistan lost Imran Nazir in the first over, Butt and Kamran Akmal, who was promoted up the order, kept the run-rate at around nine per over as they raced to fifty in the fifth over. They added 70 before Akmal was bowled for 31.

Younis Khan, returning to the Pakistan side for the first time since the World Cup, added 67 with Butt as the two struck fours and sixes in every over. The arrival of Afridi at the crease plunged the already demoralised Ugandan bowlers into despair.

Emmanuel Isaneez went for 34 runs in one over as Afridi clouted him for five sixes and a four. Ugandaís situation was made worse when Lawrence Sematimba dropped Butt on 55. Joel Olwenyi, a right-arm medium-fast bowler, managed the best economy-rate of 8.50.

Pakistanís bowlers, however, were unable to bowl out Uganda despite having pinned them down at 46 for 5 after 12 overs. Umar Gul was their best bowler with 2 for 10 off three overs and only three out of eight Uganda batsmen reached double figures. Raymond Otim top scored with an unbeaten 27 off 29 balls. Uganda face Kenya while Pakistan meet Bangladesh on Sunday.

Scoreboard

Pakistan won toss

Pakistan

Salman Butt not out 74

Imran Nazir c Kebba b Kamyuka 0

†Kamran Akmal b Olwenyi 31

Younis Khan c Otim b Arinaitwe 51

Shahid Afridi not out 57

Extras (w13) 13

Total (3 wkts, 20 overs) 226

Did not bat: Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Asif, *Shoaib Malik, Yasir Arafat

Fall: 1-7, 2-77, 3-144

Bowling: Kamyuka 4-0-41-1 (1w); Otiti 1-0-12-0; Isaneez 4-0-59-0; Patel 3-0-44-0 (3w); Olwenyi 4-0-34-1; Arinaitwe 4-0-36-1

Uganda

L Sematimba c & b Yasir 14

*J Olwenyi b Umar 14

†N A Kebba b Umar 2

K Kamyuka c Misbah b Asif 0

N Patel c & b Iftikhar 2

R Otim not out 27

J I Kibukamusoke c Younis b Shoaib 9

E Isaneez st Kamran b Shoaib 3

Extras (lb1, w6) 7

Total (7 wkts, 20 overs) 78

Did not bat: S H Sebulime, M Otiti, D K Arinaitwe

Fall: 1-21, 2-23, 3-24, 4-36, 5-46, 6-66, 7-78

Bowling: Mohammad Asif 3-1-16-1; Umar Gul 3-0-10-2 (2w) Rao Iftikhar 3-2-1-1; Yasir Arafat 3-0-18-1 (3w); Shahid Afridi 4-0-15-0; Shoaib Malik 4-0-17-2

Result: Pakistan won by 148 runs

Points: Pakistan 2, Uganda 0

Man of the Match: Shahid Afridi

Umpires: R D’Mello and S R Modi. Match referee: M J Procter (South Africa)

Forthcoming matches: Sunday (today) Kenya v Uganda, Bangladesh v Pakistan. September 4 (Tuesday) Uganda v Bangladesh, Kenya v Pakistan. All matches to be played at Gymkhana Club Ground Nairobi

Note: Matches involving Uganda have not been accorded full Twenty20 International status.

Source:Cricket News