HARARE, Sept 27, (Agencies): Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim took career-best figures of four for 11 as Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 13 runs in the first Twenty20 international at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday.

Set 137 for victory, the home side could only muster 123 for nine in reply after Pakistan had won the toss and elected to bat.

Wasim, 26, proved chief destroyer as he bagged the wicket of in-form opener Chamu Chibhabha for a duck before reducing Zimbabwe to 66 for five when he dismissed Sean Williams (14) in the 12th over.

Captain Elton Chigumbura (31) was the only home batsman to muster much resistance to the visitors’ attack, before he became the third run out of the innings in the final over.

Shoaib Malik (35) top-scored for Pakistan as they posted 136 for eight in 20 overs and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan finished unbeaten on a measured 33 from 32 balls.

Seamer Chamu Chibhabha was the pick of the home bowlers with three for 18, his best figures in Twenty20 internationals.

The final match of the 20-over series will be played at the same venue on Tuesday, after which the teams will contest three one-day internationals starting on Thursday.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN

Ahmed Shehzad b Chibhabha    17

Mukhtar Ahmed c Masakadza b Chibhabha         4

Sohaib Maqsood b Chibhabha    6

Shoaib Malik b Williams 35

Umar Akmal c Masakadza b Cremer        14

Mohammad Rizwan not out        33

Imad Wasim c Ervine b Jongwe  19

Shahid Afridi c Chibhabha b Panyangara                2

Wahab Riaz run out         0

Extras (2lb, 3w, 1nb)       6

Total (8 wkts, 20 overs) 136

Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Ahmed Shehzad), 2-25 (Mukhtar Ahmed), 3-29 (Sohaib Maqsood), 4-71 (Umar Akmal), 5-87 (Shoaib Malik), 6-133 (Imad Wasim), 7-136 (Shahid Afridi), 8-136 (Wahab Riaz).

Did not bat: Imran Khan, Sohail Tanvir.

Bowling: Utseya 4-0-32-0, Chibhabha 3-0-18-3, Panyangara 2-0-8-1, Jongwe 2-0-9-1, Cremer 4-0-21-1, Williams 4-0-34-1, Sikandar Raza 1-0-12-0.

ZIMBABWE

1. Masakadza c Mukhtar Ahmed b Imad Wasim 25
2. Chibhabha b Imad Wasim 0
3. Ervine lbw b Sohail Tanvir 11

Sikandar Raza lbw b Imad Wasim              13

1. Williams lbw b Imad Wasim 14
2. Chigumbura run out 31
3. Mutumbami run out 9
4. Jongwe run out 2
5. Cremer c Shahid Afridi b Wahab Riaz 0
6. Utseya not out 12
7. Panyangara not out 1

Extras (2lb, 3w) 5

Total (9 wkts, 20 overs) 123

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Chibhabha), 2-27 (Ervine), 3-49 (Sikandar Raza), 4-60 (Masakadza), 5-66 (Williams), 6-77 (Mutumbami), 7-90 (Jongwe), 8-90 (Cremer), 9-121 (Chigumbura).

Bowling: Imad Wasim 4-0-11-4, Sohail Tanvir 4-0-24-1, Wahab Riaz 4-0-27-1, Imran Khan 4-0-29-0, Shahid Afridi 3-0-23-0, Shoaib Malik 1-0-7-0.

Toss: Pakistan

Umpires: Jeremiah Matibiri (ZIM) and Russell Tiffin (ZIM)

TV umpire: Langton Rusere (ZIM)

Match referee: David Jukes (ENG)

Result: Pakistan won by 13 runs.

Series: Pakistan lead the two-match series 1-0.