Pakistan denied series whitewash

May 03, 2011 Sports

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Windies win by 1 run on DL system

By Sean Devers in Barbados
in association with Digicel

It was not the ideal victory but with six consecutive defeats since they beat Ireland in the World Cup, any win is cause for celebration for West Indians.
Yesterday in murky conditions the home team beat Pakistan by one run at Kensington Oval on the Duckworth/Lewis system in the fourth ODI of the Digicel five-match series after rain ended the match at 17:25hrs. Led by 76 from the in-form Lindl Simmons, the West Indies, set a revised target of 223 from 39 overs reached 154-4 off 29.5 overs, replying to Pakistan’s 248-9 off 50 overs to head for Guyana for Thursday’s final match with the series 3-1 in favor of the visitors.
Pakistan, hunting a 5-nil whitewash were asked to bat first for the first time in the series in overcast conditions and Guyanese leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo (3-37) continued his wonderful start to his International career while all-rounder Dwayne Bravo (2-60) and pacer Kemar Roach (2-67) had expensive spells as Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for 38 runs once Man-of-the-Match in the third game last Thursday Misbah Ul Haq, was bowled off his pad by Bishoo at 210-3.
On another national holiday here, a crowd of 4,600 braved three stoppages caused by rain as the return of former Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan coincided with the first win in the series for the West Indies in seven matches.

Simmons again played an array of audacious shots on the lush green and slow outfield caused by heavy rain over the weekend.
He added 57 with fellow Trinidadian Daren Bravo (21) for the second wicket and 75 with Sarwan (28) for the third to keep the West Indies in the hunt after Kirk Edwards, asked to open, seemed unlucky to be given caught behind off left-arm pacer Junaid Khan for a duck with just a run on the board.
Simmons and Bravo, the only two batsmen with meaningful contributions in the three defeats, again batted entertainingly before the left-handed Bravo who faced 26 balls and hit three fours was taken at third man, playing an impetuous slash at Khan in the ninth over.
Sarwan, controversially left out for the first three matches, got going with a spanking square cut off Shahid Afridi for four and although the Guyanese was not at his fluent best he kept the scoreboard ticking by working the ball into gaps and favored the cut shot as he played the supporting role to the free-flowing Simmons on a track with some pace and bounce.
Simmons reached his fifth fifty at this level; an improvised scoop of Khan for six over long-leg had the noisy crowd jumping in the stands. But just when the host seemed set for a comfortable win, Sarwan, who looked a bit ‘ring rusty’ attempted to go over the top to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and was taken at long-on at 132-3. His 28 lasted 56 balls and included a solitary boundary.
Simmons has batted well since his return to International cricket in this series after not being picked for the Word Cup but his inability to press on to a big score when set was again evident yesterday as he fell to pacer Tanvir Ahmed after flicking the pacer disdainfully on top of the pavilion at square-leg for one of his three sixes.

He also hit four fours from the 69 balls he faced and his demise, in the 26th over, left the West Indies on 135-4 as Pakistan fought their way back into the fray.
The out-of-sorts Marlon Samuels (8*) and Dwayne Bravo (11) remained unbeaten at the end after a crucial six over mid wicket off Afridi in the game’s final over by Bravo before the rain ended the contest proved the decisive shot in the truncated contest.
Earlier, West Indies left out Anthony Martin and Andre Russell; Sarwan and Carlton Baugh returned to the side.
Ahmed Shehzad who scored his maiden ton in St Lucia was stupendously caught by Dwayne Bravo running back from square-leg and diving full length as he pulled at Roach in the fifth over with just 15 on the board to give the Windies an early break through.
However, Asad Shafiq who stroked four fours in his 102-ball 71 and Man-of-the-Match Mohammed Hafeez who hit seven fours and three sixes from 138 balls in his second hundred at this level, repaired the damage with solid batting before rain stopped play at 42-1 off 12 overs.
When play resumed the pair continued to bat well – both Roach and Dwayne Bravo bowled too many loose balls after another impressive spell from pacer Ravi Rampaul (10-2-37-0) as they took Pakistan to 168 with their 153-run partnership.
Bravo eventually removed Shafiq while 10 runs later Afridi (8) who promoted himself in the order to try and accelerate the scoring, was taken at mid-off attacking Roach.
Ul Haq (5) was then removed by the impressive Bishoo to start a collapse; Hafeez was bowled by Bishoo at 219-5 while Hammad Azam (1) and Mohammed Salman who was run out for a duck both departed at 220 as the Asians lost wickets in a heap.
Ahmed struck a four and two sixes before he was bowled by Bravo for 18 after Usman Salahuddin (5) was run out at 236-8 in the penultimate over.
The squad for Thursday’s ODI in Guyana will be named today and it is understood that Shivnarine Chanderpaul has declined the offer to play his ‘farewell ODI match’ on Thursday after being overlooked for the first four matches.
The first Test is also scheduled for Guyana from May 12-16 after the Pakistanis face Guyana in a two-day match at Bourda on May 8 and 9. Both teams are expected in Guyana this afternoon.

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