Brighto Paints Q-Mobile ODI series…Windies flatter to deceive as Ali (5-35) & Azad’s ton lift Pakistan to 74-run win

Apr 10, 2017 Sports

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By Sean Devers
At venue reportedly almost sold out since Saturday, a less than capacity crowd at Providence yesterday watched as Pakistan beat West Indies by 74 runs in the second Brighto Paints Q-Mobile ODI after a masterful ton from 22-year-old Man-of-the-Match Babar Azad and a career best 5-35 from pacer Hassan Ali laid the foundation for the win which sets up tomorrow’s decider with the series level 1-1.

A magnificent unbeaten 125, the highest of his five ODI centuries, from Azad set the stage for Pakistan’s 282-5 off their 50 overs as he capitalised on another wonderful batting track in scorching heat. His fourth ton against West Indies lasted 132 balls and was decorated with seven fours and three sixes.
The elegant right-hander shared in an unfinished sixth wicket stand of 99 in 11.2 overs with Imad Wasim, who clobbered two sixes and two fours in a belligerent 35-ball 44  as the last 10 overs leaked 94 runs as West Indies again struggled in the ‘death’ overs.
Pacer Shannon Gabriel had 2-50, while Guyanese leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, in his best spell in recent times, took 1-40 in 10 overs and was the most economical bowler for West Indies who reached 208 in 44.5 overs despite a 58-run stand between Skipper Jason Holder who made 68 from 87 balls with six fours and a six and Ashley Nurse, who hit six fours and a six in a 43-ball 44.
Holder bettered his previous best of 57 and added 52 with Alzarri Joseph (15) as Ali got support from Mohammed Hafeez (2-23).
Chasing 283 to win the series, Evin Lewis and Chadwick Walton began aggressively with both hitting a couple of boundaries but neither of them reached 15 and in the fifth over, West Indies were 27-2. Walton (10) was removed by Junaid Khan and Lewis (13) was LBW to Mohammed Amir five runs later.
Shai Hope started with three boundaries and the fans in a crowd which had grown to about 7,000 were waving Guyana and West Indies flags but their joy was short-lived when Hope (15) was removed by Ali who also got rid of Kieran Powell (11).
Jonathon Carter (12) and first match hero Jason Mohammed (1) saw the score to 50 but were both dismissed by Hafeez, playing impetuous shots as West Indies slumped to 75-6 in the 18th over and the new pitch had little to do with the batsmen’s demise.
Holder and Nurse offered resistance with Nurse sweeping Shadab Khan for four and slogging Wasim for another boundary before lofting Khan into the stands and clobbered him like a rocket to the boundary in the same over and the fans in the stands were on their feet again, dancing to the pulsating music coming from the Mound.
Nurse punched Wasim past cover and smashed Ali for two fours in one over but Ali had the last laugh when Nurse was LBW at 133-6.
Bishoo (16) was soon LBW to Khan at 158-8 but Holder kept going and clipped Wasim for his third boundary. A six and a four off Amir brought up his fifty from 66 balls with four fours and a six before Ali dismissed Joseph and Holder to give him his 2nd five-wicket haul.
Earlier, Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal were kept on tight rein by Holder and Gabriel before Shehzad (5) edged Gabriel to the Keeper in the fifth over at 16-1. Azam began his entertaining innings by flicking Holder for the first boundary of the match.
On another fast outfield, with cotton wool-like clouds floating merrily over the Providence, Akmal cut Gabriel for four and square drove him for another in successive overs before Azam hammered Joseph to the ropes.
Akmal was well caught down the leg-side by Shai Hope off Joseph after facing 27 balls which included two fours, to leave the score at 44-2 before the 50 was posted in 11 overs.
Hafeez edged Joseph just past the Keeper for four before Azam pulled Joseph for a well timed boundary as the partnership took shape. Hafeez eased Joseph down the ground for four and hammered a full toss from Bishoo, which Mohammed made a magnificent attempt to catch but parried it for six.
Azad reached his seventh fifty with a single off Bishoo before he edged Holder for consecutive boundaries with the first one just hitting the glove of a diving Hope as the partnership progressed to 69.
Hafeez (32) then ran past a leg-side wide from Nurse and was stumped at 113-3 after hitting two fours and a six from 50 balls.
At 128-4 in the 29th over, Shoaib Malik (9) provided Hope with his fourth dismissal when he edged one that turned from Bishoo.  Safraz Ahmed and Azad had added 55 for the fourth wicket by the time Ahmed was removed by Gabriel for a run-a-ball 26 with three fours at 183-4.
Azad pulled Joseph off the front foot for four, while Wasim smashed Joseph past cover for four more before Azad reached his hundred from 123 balls with six fours.
Wasim clobbered Joseph for six over long-on before Azad dumped him into the Orange Stand in an expensive over, while Azad hit Holder for six over long-off and clipped him elegantly behind square for four.
Wasim dumped Carter for six and a four off the first two balls off the final over before Azad effortlessly hit him over his head for six off the last ball of an over which cost 19 to provided impetus to an innings which stalled in the middle overs.

Scoreboard
PAKISTAN
Ahmed Shehzad c wkp Hope b Gabriel                5
Kamran Akmal c wkp Hope b Joseph                   21
Babar Azam not out                                                   125
Mohammad Hafeez st Hope b Nurse                   32
Shoaib Malik c wkp Hope b Bishoo                      9
*+Sarfraz Ahmed c Walton b Gabriel                26
Imad Wasim not out                                                  43
Extras (b1, lb9, w 9, nb 2)                                        21
TOTAL (5 wkts, 50 overs)                   282

Did not bat: Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir,
Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan.

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-44, 3-113, 4-128, 5-183.

Bowling: Gabriel 10-1-50-2 (w2, nb1),
Holder 9-0-48-0 (w1), Joseph 9-0-69-1 (w3, nb1),
Bishoo 10-0-40-1, Nurse 10-0-42-1 (w3),
Carter 2-0-23-0.

WEST INDIES
E Lewis lbw b Mohammad Amir                                   13
C Walton c Hasan Ali b Junaid Khan                         10
+S Hope c Shadab Khan b Hasan Ali                         15
K Powell lbw b Hasan Ali                                                11
J Carter lbw b Mohammad Hafeez                             12
J Mohammed c wkp S. Ahmed b M. Hafeez              1
*J Holder c Babar Azam b Hasan Ali                         68
A Nurse lbw b Hasan Ali                                                 44
D Bishoo lbw b Shadab Khan                                         16
A Joseph c Babar Azam b Hasan Ali                           15
S Gabriel not out                                                                   0
Extras (lb1, w2)                                                                      3
TOTAL (all out; 44.5 overs)                      208

Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-27, 3-46, 4-51, 5-56,
6-75, 7-133, 8-156, 9-208, 10-208.

Bowling: Mohammad Amir 7-1-36-1,
Junaid Khan 6-0-41-1 (w1), Hasan Ali 8.5-1-38-5,
Mohammad Hafeez 6-0-23-2, Imad Wasim 7-0-29-0 (w1),
Shadab Khan 10-1-40-1.

Result: Pakistan won by 74 runs.
Series: Three-match series tied 1-1.
Man-of-the-Match: Babar Azam.
Umpires: G Brathwaite, I Gould; TV – S Fry.

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