Samuels hits classy 'come back' fifty but Windies on the back foot against Pakistan

Samuels hits classy ‘come back’ fifty but Windies on the back foot against Pakistan

May 22, 2011 Sports

By Sean Devers in St Kitts
In association with Digicel, Queensway
& Leisure Inn

On a gloriously sunny afternoon at Warner Park, West Indies yesterday threw away their early advantage despite an eye catching ‘come back’ 57 from Marlon Samuels.
When the second day of the final Test ended West Indies were 184-8 replying to Pakistan’s 272 and in the context of this match, the frustrating Pakistan last wicket partnership of 78 between Tanvir Ahmed (57) and Saeed Ajmal (23*) was as valuable as Guyana’s gold as West Indies head into the third day still 88 runs behind.
In murky conditions and on a good cricket pitch, Pakistan resumed on 180-6 and quickly lost both overnight batsmen with the score on 187 when Darren Sammy had Abdur Rehman (3) caught behind and Mohammed Salman (13) drove Davendra Bishoo to Samuels at mid-on in the next over.
Ravi Rampaul had 3-68, Bishoo 3-80 and Sammy 2-70, but positive batting from Ahmed and gritty support from Ajmal kept the West Indies at bay for 95 minutes as Sammy strangely went on the defensive giving the number 10 batsman a single to bowl to the last man in a futile attempt to separate the batsmen.
After the two early wickets Carlton Baugh dropped Wahab Riaz in the first over of a new spell for Kemar Roach but it did not cost the West Indies much as Riaz, who replaced Umar Gul in the side, was caught behind two balls later as Roach struck at 194-8.
Ahmed threw his bat around and pulled Bishoo through mid-wicket and thumped him over mid-off for boundaries and then clobbered Ravi Rampaul to the deep mid-wicket fence as the tail to wagged, much to the delight of a fair size Pakistan support group of overseas students in the ground.
Back-to-back boundaries by Ahmed off Sammy’s gentle medium pace pushed Pakistan past the 250 mark.
As the partnership increased so did the frustration of the West Indians as heads and shoulders dropped and Sammy clutched his back in discomfort after a delivery from him was whipped for four by Ahmed to take him to within a run from his maiden Test fifty and 14th at First Class level.
A colourful crowd watched Ahmed reach his half-century with an edged boundary off Rampaul with just one slip in place and a long-on and deep cover on the boundary.
Ahmed celebrated his fifty with a cut behind point off Rampaul as he and Ajmal exploited Sammy’s strange tactics.
The pair prospered although the second new ball was taken after 94 overs with the score 227-9 and Roach produced some lively short balls. Bishoo finally trapped Ahmed leg before as the innings closed at Lunch.
Pakistan struck in the first over of West Indies’ reply when Ahmed had Lendl Simmons caught at slip without a run on the board.
Eighteen-year-old debutant Kraigg Brathwaite got going with a steer to the backward point boundary and the good size crowd, which included his father, roared its delight.
Known for his resolute style, Braithwaite would have rarely started an innings at a faster rate than he did yesterday in his previous 16 First-Class matches.
The Region’s fifth youngest Test cricketer and third player to be picked while still at Secondary School followed up his first scoring shot in Test cricket with a glorious off-driven boundary before he drove loosely at Riaz and was caught at slip for 15 to leave the West Indies on 22-2. Ramnaresh Sarwan immediately got the fans excited with three gorgeous boundaries in one over from Riaz including a disdainful hook and an immaculate cover drive even as Bravo surprisingly struggled against the spin of Rehman and Ajmal.
However, with the score on 54, Sarwan (20) was beaten in the flight and bottom-edged a ball from Ajmal onto his boot for Salman to complete a smart piece of stumping and the West Indies, without the solidity of the injured Shiv Chanderpaul, were in big trouble.
Samuels joined Bravo and soon had the crowd eating out of his hands with a couple of exquisite front foot square-drives off Riaz which reached the boundary like scud missiles.
The tight backward defensive shot that followed the boundaries suggested that the ‘second coming’ of the Jamaican could be something special.
Bravo who hit four fours in his 24 was removed by off-spinner Mohammed Hafeez on the stroke of Tea with the score on 94-4 with Samuels unbeaten on 21.
Nash, who scored a century in a double century stand with Chanderpaul in the last Test match in St Kitts last year, joined Samuels and took the score to 100 before Nash (6) edged Hafeez to slip.
Carlton Baugh got going with a spanking cover driven boundary off Hafeez but soon swept at Rehman and was LBW for six at 107-6.
Sammy lofted Rehman over long-on for an effortless six but instead of playing the supporting role to the well set Samuels, the Skipper like he did in Guyana when Chanderpaul was at the other end, attempted to hit Rehman out of the ground and was well caught by Akmal at long-off for 16 at 144-7.
The 30-year-old Samuels, who soon reached his 10th Test fifty in his 30th Test and first since he played against Australia in Trinidad in 2008, was removed by Ajmal at 158-8 after striking seven fours and two sixes in his innings.
Rampaul clobbered Hafeez for two sixes in his unbeaten 15 while Roach dumped Ajmal over long-off for six in his undefeated 10 as they put together 26 runs in their unfinished partnership.
The West Indies might be inspired by the work of the Pakistan tail but with just Bishoo to come, prospects of the host overhauling the visitors’ total on a track with help for both bowler and batsman, is not too good.
Scores: West Indies 184 for 8 (Samuels 57, Hafeez 2-16, Rehman 2-46) trail Pakistan 272 (Azhar 67, Ahmed 57, Akmal 56, Rampaul 3-68) by 88 runs.