Mon, 02 May 2011 - Pakistan vs West Indies, Pakistan Tour of West Indies 2011, 4th ODI - Bulletin

West Indies win by one run in rain affected game

A six off third ball off Shahid Afridi by Dwayne Bravo proved to be a match winning one as it put home team ahead of Pakistan by one run as per D/L method. Afridi hadn’t conceded any run either side of that mighty hit but it was enough to win the game for West Indies.

When rain came in the 30th over of West Indian chase that was already truncated to 39 overs, the hosts were 154 for 4 and the intensity of the rain forced umpires to announce that there would be no play. This gave West Indies their first win over a test side since 2009 barring Bangladesh and gave them something to cheer about after having lost first three matches to Pakistan without nay fight.

More than the runs, it was Bravo and Marlon Samuels not giving their wickets away that put Windies ahead under D/L method. The win through was scripted by a classy innings from opener Lendl Simmons whose aggressive knock made sure other batsmen needed not to go for big shots.

West Indies win by one run in rain affected game

With long rain interruption that delayed start of West Indies innings, target for West Indies was revised to 223 from 39 overs under D/L method; home team received an early jolt when Junaid Khan removed Kirk Edwards in the first over. This however didn’t affect Lendl Simmons one bit as took attack into Pakistan camp and took a liking to debutant fast bowler Tanveer Ahmad looting his 4th over (innings 8th) for 20 runs including three fours and an audacious six.

Simmons, the best West Indian batsmen in the series, was class apart had hardly any difficulty in his 70-ball 71 punctuated with four hits to the fence and three sixes.

He had two productive partnerships first with Darren Bravo for 56 runs and 75 with Ramnaresh Sarwan to put the run chase on the way. During his partnership with Sarwan he had to do bulk of the scoring as senior pro playing his first match in the series eat up lot of balls.Sarwan struggled to get the off square consuming 56 balls for his painstaking 28. Younger Bravo was again at his stylish best creaming some neat drives through off side but brain fade cost him his wicket when left hander chased a wide delivery from Junaid only to toe-end it deep third man’s throat.

There was no such problem for Simmons who unleashed some glorious strokes to make Pakistan look an ordinary one as right hander kept required run rate always under 6 runs per over.

With home team cruising towards the target, self combust act from West Indies came into play as it lost both Sarwan and Simmons in the matter of seven deliveries to derail the chase. Sarwan was holed out at long-0ff while trying to deposit Hafeez into stands and Simmons for reasons known to him skied a nothing delivery from struggling Tanveer to deep point.

Bravo senior and Samuels played next 25 balls with rain and D/L method in their mind. After bravo hit the crucial six, a signal from dressing room simply wanted him to block rest of the deliveries of the over which he did and saw his side win a game by just one run.

Earlier Pakistan opener hit his second ODI century to help his side to post a competitive 248 for 9 in their allotted fifty overs. Asked to bat first on a rainy morning, Pakistan batting effort revolved largely around second wicket marathon partnership of 153 between Hafeez and Asad Shafiq as both braved jittery conditions to lay a strong platform for their side.

However, good work by the duo was undone by terrific leg spin bowling by Devendra Bishoo and two crazy pieces of running between the wickets that limited Pakistan to under 250 score. Pakistan well placed for a big score before Bishoo had wickets of Misbah-ul Haq, Hammad Azam and centurion Hafeez for just 10 runs to rock Pakistan in last seven overs.

Hafeez who has been guilty of throwing his wicket after playing pretty but short innings was very much determined to get a big score under his belt this time around surviving new ball burst from Kemar Roach and Ravi Rampaul. Losing his opening partner early to a brilliant catch by Darren Bravo off Roach, Hafeez combined with Shafiq paced the innings beautifully.

Pakistan innings was interrupted twice by rain but it didn’t bother Hafeez who combined measured approach with aggression beautifully. His 121 came off 135 balls including seven fours and three sixes while Shafiq was more circumspect consuming 102 balls for his 71 hitting only four boundaries.

The pair timed their respective innings skillfully and hardly give any chance to West Indies bowlers piling runs with all the ease in the world. Bravo finally broke the partnership when Shafiq was holed out in the deep forcing skipper Shahid Afridi to promote himself to number four in a bid to give impetus to the innings.

Afridi promotion didn’t beat fruits as he skied one in the air while attempting to hit one out of ground off Rampaul triggering batting collapse. Bishoo who is having a memorable first ODI series had Misbah bowled off a quicker one, Hammad caught off a miscued sweep and Hafeez with the ball of the innings when leg spinner got one to dip and turn from leg to hit middle stump.

Rattled Pakistan pressed a panic button resulting in two needless run outs with Mohammad Salman trying to go for a run which was never there followed by debutant Usman Salahuddin. Youngster while attempting a second run which was very much there found himself stranded in the middle of the pitch when Tanveer Ahmad refused to run.

Tanveer though made amends by hitting two big sixes and a four to give some late order charge as Pakistan finished on 248.Apart from his three wickets, Bishoo only gave away 37 runs and is surely enhancing his reputation after ever outing.