Pakistan and Australia have better diplomatic ties than cricketing relations following the betting scandals in which Messrs Warne and Waugh accused Salim Malik of being on the make. Malik sat out today's game but there was plenty of needle on the field with some lip and considerable jostling thrown in as Australia failed just failed to overhaul Pakistan's 275 with 13 needed off the last over.

A nerve-jangling day's cricket was capped by loutish pitch invaders who made off with the stumps when the last wicket was yet to fall and them swamped the ground when Akram bowled the last man McGrath.

The Aussies, sloppy and jaded, now have to win their final group games against Bangladesh and West Indies to stay in the race. Australia made a dreadful beginning chasing aformidable target, but Mark Waugh, the Rolls Royce among contemporary batsmen, had purred along to 41 and raised visions of a finessed Australian chase when his refined off glide was pouched by Moin Khan. Having navigated Akram and Shoaib successfully, the prickly Ponting and Lehmann fell to the sweeping fever induced by Saqlain and the Australian innings lay in ruins at 101 for 4.

Michael Bevan is the gold standard of One-Day cricket, a man who is called the best `finisher' in the business for the precision with which he carries Australia across the line. Such is his masterly control over a run chase that he is said to have miscalculated only once. His limited overs batting average is 60 plus, way ahead of Tendulkar, Lara, Waugh, and other greats, and it is almost twice his Test average.

But today, he failed to add to his legend, falling when Australia still needed 62 at around seven an over. And when the glacial Steve Waugh was bowled by Shoaib Akhtar 38 short of the target, Australia was toast as WasimAkram roasted them at the crunch.

Earlier, the Pakistani middle order cranked up for the first time, after the top order choked again when put in by Steve Waugh on a good batting strip. As usual, the morning and the moisture offered plenty of lateral movement and the Pakistani innings headed downhill straightaway.

They hauled the side to 84 at the halfway stage, and began pulling away as Shane Warne began bowling his benign legspin, kebobs for the Pakistani batting nabobs.

Such complete disregard do the sub-continentals hold Warne in that Steve Waugh had to bowl him straight for ten overs and he still went for 50 with only a giveaway wicket and shellacking from the crowd to show for a day's work. Razzaq and Inzamam added 118 when the former tried to clean up Warne in a bid to up the tempo and holed out.

Hereabouts, Pakistan gave an object lesson -- and a warning -- to all sides on how to step in the gas. From 167 for 4 after 40, they lashed 108 in the last ten as Waugh covered the fifth bowler spot inthe company of the hopelessly pedestrian Damien Martyn and Darryl Lehmann and the three got creamed for 79.

But then, it really did not matter who bowled because even McGrath's wrath was dispatched for 40 in his last three, as Pakistan went hell for leather, losing wickets to insane run outs and wild slogs but steaming ahead at ten an over.

SCOREBOARD

PAKISTAN

Waajahatullah Wasti c S Waugh b McGrath 9
Saeed Anwar c Gilchrist b Reiffel 25
Abdul Razzaq c Fleming b Warne 60
Ijaz Ahmed lbw b Fleming 0
Inzaman-ul-Haq run out 81
Yousuf Youhana run out 29
Wasim Akram c Gilchrist b Fleming 13
Moin Khan not out 31
Azhar Mhamood run out 1
Saqlain Mushtaq not out
Extras (1b 6lb 15w 4nb): 26
Total (8 wkts. 50 overs): 276
Fall of wickets: 1-32 (Saeed Anwar), 2-44 (Wasti), 3-46 (Ijaz), 4-164 (Razzaq) 5-216 (Youhana), 6-230 (Inzamam), 7-262 (Akram), 8-265 (Azhar).
Bowling: D W Fleming 10-3-37-2 (nb1, w4); PR Reiffel 10-1-48-1 (nb1, w4); G DMcGrath 10-1-54-1 (nb1, w4); SK Warne 10-0-50-1 (w1); SR Waugh 6-0-37-0 (w1); DR Martyn 2-0-25-0 (nb1); Lehmann 2-0-17-0.

AUSTRALIA

AC Gilchrist b Akram 0
ME Waugh c Moin b Razzaq 41
RT Ponting c Anwar b Saqlain 47
DS Lehmann c Moin b Saqlain 5
SR Waugh b Shoaib 49
MG Bevan c Azhar b Akram 61
DR Martyn b Akram 18
SK Warne run out 1
PR Reiffel c Akram b Saqlain 1
DW Fleming not out 4
GD McGrath b Akram 0
Extras (5b, 12lb, 14w, 7nb): 38
Total: (all out in 49.5 overs): 265
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Gilchrist); 2-91 (Waugh); 3-100 (Ponting); 4-101 (Lehmann); 5-241 (Bevan); 6-238 (SE Waugh); 7-248 (Warne); 8-251 (Reiffel); 9-265 (Martyn).
Bowling: Akram 9.5-1-40-4 (5nb, 1w); Akthar 10-0-46-1 (3w); Azhar 10-0-61-0 (3w); Saqlain 10-1-51-3 (2nb); Razzaq 10-0-50-1 (5w).