Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 37 runs in the third one-day international to win the five-match series at Multan stadium on Sunday.

Hard-hitting Shahid Afridi [Images] smashed 85 off 52 balls, including a record-equaling 245th six, as Pakistan restricted Zimbabwe to
235 for seven after scoring a formidable total of 272 for 9 of its 50 overs.

With the win, Pakistan takes an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Sean Williams (71) and Brendon Taylor (55) shared 105-run fourth wicket stand off 131 balls to give Zimbabwe some hope for a win, before both departed in the space of nine deliveries.

Elton Chigumbura remained unbeaten on 42 off 44 balls while Gary Brent was not out on 13.

Left-arm paceman Sohail Tanvir's (2-41) and Tatenda Taibu's run out left Zimbabwe reeling at 50-3 in the 15th over before Williams and Taylor revived the innings.

Kamran Akmal had Taylor stumped off Shoaib Malik [Images] (2-52) while Afridi claimed the prized wicket of top-scorer Williams, caught by Afridi at mid-wicket. Williams hit just three boundaries in his patient 101-ball knock.

Earlier, medium fast bowler Tawanda Mupariwa's career-best figures of 4-46 had Pakistan in trouble at 78-5 before Afridi steadied the innings with an aggressive hour at the crease.

Afridi, playing in his 252nd one-day international, lofted his sixth six off left-arm spinner Keith Dabengwa to draw level with Sri Lanka's [Images] Sanath Jayasuriya with a world record of 245 sixes from 403 matches.

Scorecard

Pakistan
Salman Butt [Images] c Taylor b Chigumbura 23
Nasir Jamshed c Chibhabha b Mupariwa 32
Younis Khan lbw Mupariwa 10
Mohammad Yousuf [Images] c and b Mupariwa 5
Shoaib Malik run out 3
Misbah-ul-Haq c Chigumbura b Williams 44
Shahid Afridi c Masakadza b Mupariwa 85
Kamran Akmal c Chibhabha b Brent 28
Kamran Hussain not out 28
Sohail Tanvir c Brent b Chibhabha 2
Yasir Arafat not out 0

Extras (w-12) 12

Total (for nice wickets; 50 overs) 272

Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-66, 3-70, 4-76, 5-78, 6-194, 7-219, 8-259, 9-267

Bowling: E. Chigumbura, 10-2-36-1, G. Brent 9-3-34-1 (w-3), T. Mupariwa 10-0-46-4 (w-1), R. Price 10-0-50-0 (w-2), C. Chibhabha 3-0-32-1 (w-3), K. Dabengwa 4-0-35-0 (w-3), H. Masakadza 1-0-15-0, S. Williams 3-0-24-1.

Zimbabwe
Vusi Sibanda c Akmal b Tanvir 6
Hamilton Masakadza c Younis b Tanvir 10
Sean Williams c Malik b Afridi 71
Tatenda Taibu run out 10
Brendan Taylor st Akmal b Malik 55
Elton Chigumbura not out 42
Chamu Chibhabha c Misbah b Malik 10
Keith Dabengwa lbw Hussain 0
Gary Brent not out 13

Extras (b-2, lb-4, w-12) 18

Total (for seven wickets; 50 overs) 235

Did not bat: Ray Price, Tawanda Mupariwa. Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-26, 3-50, 4-155, 5-166, 6-187, 7-189

Bowling: S. Tanvir 10-1-41-2 (w-5), K. Hussain 10-0-35-1 (w-1), Y. Arafat 10-0-41-0, S. Afridi 10-0-60-1 (w-6), S. Malik 10-0-52-2.

Result: Pakistan won by 37 runs and lead 3-0 in the five match series.

Player of the match Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)