Sharjah: Pakistan warmed up for the Sharjah Cup final against Zimbabwe in two days' time by whipping Kenya by 143 runs in the Sharjah Cup here on Tuesday.

Electing to take first strike, Pakistan rattled up 286-8 from its 50 overs and shot out the World Cup semi-finalists for 143 in the inconsequential last league match.

Mohammad Sami grabbed four wickets and ran out Thomas Odoyo with a direct hit from the boundary as Kenya, 137-5 at one stage, lost its last five wickets for six runs.

Pakistan, without eight sacked stars, including Wasim Akram and Inzamam-ul Haq, won all three league matches and now clashes with Zimbabwe in Thursday's final.

Shoaib Malik hit 76 off 58 balls as Pakistan notched up the highest total in the otherwise low-scoring tournament.

Misbah-ul Haq made 42 in his first appearance here, while skipper Rashid Latif slammed 38 off 31 in a run-a-ball stand of 72 for the sixth wicket with Malik.

Kenya, who had also lost both its previous matches to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, did well to restrict Pakistan to 150-5 in the 35th over.

But Malik and Latif wrested the initiative with bold hitting, the Pakistan captain taking two boundaries and two sixes in his aggressive knock.

Kenyan captain Steve Tikolo was the most successful bowler for the Africans, his steady off spin gaining the wickets of Misbah, Yousuf Youhana and Latif.

Pakistan's new opener Mohammad Hafeez provided an entertaining start with a quickfire 36 and Faisal Iqbal made 23 as their team raced to 102-2.

The innings ended with Pakistan plundering 108 runs in the last 10 overs to set Kenya a stiff target of 5.8 runs an over under lights.It proved to be beyond Kenya's reach as it slipped to 31-4 by the eighth over, Sami claiming the key wickets of Brijal Patel and Tikolo.

The lone resistence came from Maurice Odumbe, whose 54 off 65 balls included six boundaries, four of them in Umar Gul's first over.

Sami returned for his second spell to have Hitesh Modi caught behind and then trapped last man Joseph Angara leg-before to signal Pakistan's emphatic win.

Copyright AFP 2001

Extras:
Scorecard
Malik's quick-fire knock helps Pak pile 286/8
Pakistan skipper elects to bat against Kenya