Pakistan’s nightmare tour of Australia hit a new low Friday night as the tourists slumped to an embarrassing 135-run loss in the fourth one-dayer at the WACA Ground.
Mike Hussey and Nathan Hauritz starred with the bat for Australia but it was speedster Ryan Harris who stole the show with the ball.
The 30-year-old snared his second consecutive five-wicket haul and man-of-the-match performance as Pakistan were dismissed for 142 in the 38th over in reply to Australia’s imposing 8-277.
The home side swept Pakistan 3-0 in the recent Test series and can secure a 5-0 whitewash in the one-dayers with victory in Perth on Sunday.
On a day when the mercury reached 38C, Hussey posted a composed 67 off 75 balls to continue his golden summer but it was Hauritz who had the 13,841 fans on their feet as he blasted his way to his maiden half-century.
Hauritz spanked four sixes and a four in his entertaining and unbeaten knock of 53 off 39 balls after arriving at the crease in the 40th over with Australia precariously placed at 6-190.
Australia added 87 in the final 10 overs after Cameron White (44), makeshift opener Brad Haddin (32) and Ricky Ponting (30) had laid a solid platform.
With star paceman Mitchell Johnson rested for his fourth straight game, Harris, who snared 5-43 in Tuesday’s win in Adelaide, showed that performance was no fluke.
He opened the bowling and had two wickets to his name after just seven balls.
He finished with 5-19 off 9.5 overs, taking his career tally to 11 wickets from just three one-day internationals.
Pakistan struggled to cope with Harris’s 140km/h outswingers as the right-arm paceman found the edges of opener Salman Butt (no score) and the out-of-form Younis Khan (six).
The visitors crashed to 4-29 in the 10th over when Peter Siddle (2-31) claimed Kamran Akmal (17) and skipper Mohammad Yousuf (10) in the space of three balls.
The skipper’s dismissal all but ended any chance of a Pakistan victory as Umar Akmal (38) and Fawad Alam (21) combined for a painfully slow 60 off 105 balls before they too were brought undone.
Alam was run out by Nathan Hauritz (1-48 off eight overs) and Harris was on a hat-trick in the 30th over when Akmal trickled one onto his stumps and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan edged the South Australian behind next ball.
Rao Iftikhar Anjum managed to keep out the hat-trick ball but the damage had already been done, with Pakistan dead and buried at 7-125 in the 30th over.
Shahid Afridi added some much-needed fireworks, smashing two sixes and three fours in his 10-ball knock of 29 but it was of little consolation for Pakistan, whose innings was ended when wicketkeeper Brad Haddin took a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Iftikhar Anjum and ensure Harris snared yet another five-wicket haul.
Pakistan paceman Mohammad Asif finished with tidy figures of 3-42 from 10 overs while spinner Afridi (1-44 off 10) and Saeed Ajmal (2-55) escaped much of the late carnage caused by Hauritz.
“Tonight was a lot better than the other night I thought,” Harris said.
“I actually swung the ball tonight which was what I lacked the other night.
“As I said the other day the more and more I bowl the better and better I feel.
“I’m still not quite there but I’m pretty close.
“I’m just trying to do what Ricky’s asked me to do.
“No real secret. It’s rewarding for me because I’ve worked pretty hard to get back to this point.
“Just enjoying it and doing my job.”
Pakistan skipper Yousuf said his team were outplayed in every aspect of the match.
“They played better cricket than us and they deserved to win,” Yousuf said.
“They bat well, they bowl well, they field well, in all areas they were better than us.
“We deserved to lose.”
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