West Indies score 17-run victory over Pakistan
St George's (Grenada), April 17: Pakistan made a valiant attempt to reach a difficult target of 249 but failed by 17 runs to beat West Indies in the last preliminary round fixture of the triangular series at the Queen's Park Stadium here on Sunday
Qamar Ahmed
18-Apr-2000
St George's (Grenada), April 17: Pakistan made a valiant attempt to
reach a difficult target of 249 but failed by 17 runs to beat West
Indies in the last preliminary round fixture of the triangular series
at the Queen's Park Stadium here on Sunday.
Pakistan were all out for 231 in 48.1 overs as West Indies finished
the league rounds with four victories in as many matches. The defeat,
however, does not affect Pakistan's position in the series as they had
already booked their place n the best-of-three finals against the West
Indies. The finals get underway from Wednesday at Bridgetown, followed
by two more ties in Port-of-Spain next Saturday and, if required,
Sunday.
Pakistan will have to perform a lot better with the bat than they have
done so far. There seems to be an eternal weakness in their batting
approach and unless they are able to apply themselves with much more
purpose and determination they may struggle against the West Indian
bowling which has suddenly started to show its old dominance. Reon
King, Franklyn Rose and Nixon McLean are looking quite dangerous and
with Curtly Ambrose coming to join them in the finals things could be
even more formidable for Pakistan.
King picked up three wickets for 38 on Sunday, followed by McLean two
for 47 and off-spinner Nehemiah Perry two for 54. Pakistan, having
lost three for 24, were well served by Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf
Youhana, who between them put on a sizeable stand of 123 for the
fourth wicket, to offer some hope. Inzamam made 69 off 95 balls with
five fours while Youhana hit 56 off 77 balls with three boundaries.
Imran Nazir lost his wicket to King while going for a big hit after he
had striking the bowler for a huge six. Mohammad Wasim, playing for
the first time on the tour, was run out after being sent back by
Wajahatuallh Wasti without scoring. Wasti soon followed when King
yorked him for 10. That made Pakistan 24 for three in the 9th over.
Inzamam and Youhana then salvaged the innings with a mixture of
sensible and purposeful batting. It looked rosy for Pakistan as long
as they were together. But the stand was broken when Inzamam failed to
reach his crease after stroking the ball into the covers. Rose, in his
follow through, picked up the ball and hit the stumps with Inzamam
stranded. Youhana reached his fifty with three fours off 71 balls but
minutes later he drove uppishly and was brilliantly held by a diving
Jimmy Adams for 56.
At 162 for five in the 37th over, the run rate had already crept over
seven runs an over. Abdur Razzaq and skipper Moin Khan put on 38 for
the sixth wicket in an enterprising batting display but it was all in
vain as the wickets kept falling. Razzaq (24) was bowled by
Man-of-the-Match Reon King 24 and Moin's resistance ended when he
lobbed one in the air off Perry to Rose at long-on in the 44th
over. Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 84 runs in 13.4 overs.
Earlier, West Indies made 248 for six after Jimmy Adams won the
toss. Opener Sherwin Campbell contributed 56 off 89 balls with five
fours and one six, Wavell Hinds 24 and Chris Gayle 42 off 49
balls. But the real cameo was provided in the last ten overs when
Ricardo Powell and Ridley Jacobs put on 62 for the sixth wicket in 50
balls to accelerate the run rate to over five an over after West
Indies looked like struggling for runs at 170 for five in the 41st
over.
Powell bludgeoned 50 off only 36 balls with two sixes and a four. In
the last ten overs Pakistani bowlers conceded 84 runs.Young Irfan
Fazil, who was included in the place of Wasim Akram, was unable to
control his line and length in an effort to bowl quicker on a slow
track. In his first three overs, Irfan gave away 24 runs.
Pakistan also made two other changes, opting for Wajahatullah Wasti
and Mohammad Wasim instead of Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan.