Windies weather Pak rally

Though there was a century fourth-wicket stand between Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana, both of whom completed half-centuries, Pakistan were unable to reach the magic number of 249 and were bowled out with the first ball of the last over.

The result ensured West Indies completed the preliminary competition unbeaten, a significant transformation in their form in limited-overs internationals over the last year. It was their second defeat of Pakistan after a streak of six wins over the hosts.

The two sides now transfer their attention to the three-match finals in Bridgetown on Wednesday and in Port-of-Spain (April 22 and 23). West Indies should enter with the psychological advantage after seeing Pakistan crumble in the late stages of yesterday’s match.

Inzamam hit five fours in the top score of 69 off 95 balls and Yousuf made a welcome return to form with three fours in 56 off 77 balls to share 123 for the fourth-wicket in just under 25 overs after Pakistan’s innings was in turmoil.

There were 24 for three in the ninth over after fast bowler Reon King, named man-of-the-match, captured two of his three wickets. He had Imran Nazir caught at point by wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs for nine in the fifth over and returned to have Wajahatullah Wasti bowled for ten in the ninth over.

In between, Mohammed Wasim was run out by Jimmy Adams’ throw from cover to Nehemiah Perry at the bowler’s end for nought in the seventh over. Both Inzamam and Yousuf started circumspectly, but they prospered to play some fine strokes either side of the wicket to keep West Indies guessing about the outcome to the match played before a near capacity crowd.

Inzamam however, was run out for 32nd time in limited-overs cricket when he failed to beat a direct hit at the non-striker’s end by bowler Franklyn Rose on his follow-through going for a single in the 35th over. His dismissal opened the floodgates. There was neither little substance nor stability from the rest of the Pakistani batting and they fell to their second defeat against West Indies in as many matches.

The last six Pakistani wickets tumbled for 87 in 13.4 overs, including the key wicket late of captain Moin Khan, whose ability to transform matches for his side are well-known, but died when he lofted off-spin bowler Perry to long-on in the 44th over.

Earlier, Campbell hit the top score of 56 off 91 balls to give the innings early momentum and Powell gathered 50 off 35 balls to accelerate the scoring rate late in the innings.

Campbell and Philo Wallace gave the West Indies a useful opening stand of 35 inside the first eight overs, but the batsmen got bogged down in the mid-section of the innings by accurate bowling.

Mushtaq Ahmed, Abdur Razzaq and Arshad Khan each captured one wicket to check West Indies’ advance every time it looked like they were about to step up the tempo.

Wallace was adjudged lbw to Abdur in the eighth over for 17, but there was a stand of 51 between Campbell and left-hander Wavel Hinds before Mushtaq broke through in the 26th over. Hinds swept the leg-spin bowler into the lap of square leg to be dismissed for 24 to make way for Campbell and Chris Gayle to add 41 for the third wicket.

WEST INDIES
P Wallace lbw Razzaq 17
S Campbell c Youhana b Arshad 56
W Hinds c Mohammed b Mushtaq 24
C Gayle c Wasti b Waqar 42
J Adams run out (Inzamam) 11
R Powell not out 50
R Jacobs run out (Mushtaq) 25
F Rose not out 2
Extras (b1, lb5, w12, nb3) 21
Total: (6 wkts, 50 overs) 248
Fall of wickets:1-35, 2-88, 3-127, 4-147, 5-170, 6-232.

Bowling: Waqar Younis 10-1-43-1; Ifran Fazil 6-0-46-0; Abdur Razzaq 10-2-45-1; Mushtaq Ahmed 10-0-33-1; Arshad Khan 10-0-46-1; Wajahatullah Wasti 4-0-29-0.

PAKISTAN
Imran nazir c Jacobs b King 9
Wajahatullah Wasti b King 10
Mohammed Wasim run out (Adams) 0
Inzamam-ul-Haq run out (Rose) 69
Yousuf Youhana c Adams b Rose 56
Moin Khan c Rose b Perry 16
Abdur Razzaq b King 24
Waqar Younis c Hinds b Perry 6
Irfan Fazil c Adams b McLean 15
Mushtaq Ahmed st Jacobs b Adams 4
Arshad Khan not out 2
Extras (lb5, w7, nb8) 20
Total (all out, 48.1 overs) 231
Fall of wickets:1-19, 2-19, 3-24, 4-147, 5-162, 6-200, 7-206, 8-214, 9-229

Bowling: King 10-0-38-3, Rose 10-3-36-1; McLean 9.1-0-47-1; Perry 10-0-54-2; Adams 5-0-28-1; Gayle 4-0-23-0

Result: West Indies bt Pakistan by 17 runs.
Man-of-the-match: Reon King