Half centuries by Pakistan's ODI & T20 skipper secured a victory for Pakistan, ensuring that they could not lose the ODI series.

Toss: Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Teams:

Pakistan: Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Irfan

West Indies: Devon Smith, Johnson Charles, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Chris Gayle, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Kemar Roach, Sunil Narine, Jason Holder
 

Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and after a bit of a thought, decided to chase. The rain interrupted the start of play and the covers were put on. The sun came back within minutes, though and play resumed after an hour’s break. 

The match was reduced to 49 overs a side. West Indies decided not to send Chris Gayle to open the innings and seeing his bunny, Devon Smith, batting, Mohammad Hafeez, opted to chance his arms. His stay didn’t last long as he was caught behind off Mohammad Irfan in the 7th over, trying to play a pull shot. He scored 8(22).

Darren Bravo made his way to the crease, but his stay wasn’t lengthy either and he fell to Wahab Riaz on 9(18). The struggling Marlon Samuels joined Johnson Charles out in the middle. Junaid Khan struck in the 17th over, when he trapped Johnson Charles lbw for 32(48). Chris Gayle finally arrived at the crease, but looked dodgy initially. Junaid Khan seemed to be causing him some issues with his short ball. Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels rallied along and ticked the score over with a boundary or two in every over. 

In the 26th over, Marlon Samuels decided to cut loose by targeting Shahid Afridi, when he dispatched him for two sixes, in the over which yielded 13 runs. In his very next over he got the better of Chris Gayle, who struck him for four earlier in the over. The in-form, Lendl Simmons, came out to bat with the well-set Marlon Samuels. Both of them didn’t hang around and continued to target Shahid Afridi’s bowling. He went for 12 runs in his final over after which Misbah-ul-Haq was forced to take him off, when his 6 overs cost an expensive 41. Marlon Samuels completed his half-century in the 37th over and announced his return to form. In the next over, he slammed Mohammad Irfan for a six and followed it up with a couple of fours off Wahab Riaz in successive overs. 

Lendl Simmons didn’t want to lag behind either and he chose to go after the most dangerous bowler in the side, Saeed Ajmal. A four and a six off him and the 42nd over of the innings brought 14 runs for the home side. In Saeed Ajmal’s next over, Lendl Simmons was bowled, but not before scoring a well-compiled 46(44). The local lad, Darren Sammy, was promoted up to the order much to the delight of the crowd. He obliged with a six off Junaid Khan. Marlon Samuels continued on his merry was scoring two fours off Mohammad Irfan in the 47th over, before he cleaned up Darren Sammy for 7(9). DJ Bravo came out to bat and focused primarily to give the strike to Marlon Samuels, who was nearing his well deserved ton. 

In the last over, DJ Bravo was run-out, trying to let Marlon Samuels face, Mohammad Irfan, who, on the very next ball, got two runs to complete his century, which he celebrated gleefully. On the last ball off the last over, Marlon Samuels swatted Mohammad Irfan for a six and finished in a fittingly manner on 106(104)*. West Indies posted a formidable 261/7 for a fragile Pakistan batting line-up. 


Fall of Wickets: 

1-20 (Smith, 6.3 overs)
2-50 (DM Bravo, 13.3 overs)
3-63 (Charles, 16.3 overs)
4-120 (Gayle, 28.6 overs)
5-215 (Simmons, 43.5 overs)
6-239 (Sammy, 46.5 overs)
7-253 (DJ Bravo, 48.4 overs)
 

Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad opened the innings and looked positive right off the bat. Shehzad appeared to be in quite good touch until he mistimed a delivery from Jason Holder and was given lbw. He asked for a review but the result stood. Hafeez came on to the crease and helped foster a 41 run partnership with Nasir. The partnership crashed when the two had a miscommunication which led to Nasir getting run out. 

Rain rushed in by the 17th over and stopped play. In order for a complete game to be called, the batting side has to at least play 20 overs and the required D/L score was 88. Pakistan stood at 68/2 with captain Misbah and Hafeez at the crease. It took over an hour for play to resume; and when the players got back out there, Pakistan's target had been modified to 189 from 31 overs.

The two batsmen looked to rotate the strike after the resumption of play and keep the scoreboard moving. Mohammad Hafeez took the attack to Holder in the 21st over, launching the tall fast bowler for two sixes, as the over went for 19 runs. Misbah and Hafeez, both looked to apply pressure on the fielders by picking up quick singles, and turning ones into twos. To the relief of Pakistani fans, the T20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez looked as if he was regaining some form, as he brought up his 17th half century with a drive through the covers for four.

Both batsmen seemed well in control and scoring at a rapid pace, however, with the score on 132 Roach claimed the wicket of Hafeez, thanks to a brilliant low catch by Darren Bravo. The downfall of Hafeez brought Afridi to the crease. On Afridi's second delivery he smashed a short and wide delivery by Roach away to the boundary for four. Thanks to a flurry of boundaries, and good rotation of strike, the required run rate had been brought down to under 7.5 runs/over at the end of the 24th over.

Once again a short ball, this time by Dwayne Brove, brought about the down fall of Shahid Afridi. Afridi, in an attempt to clear the fence, simply flat batted the ball straight down the throat of deep mid-wicket. The pressure was beginning to show on both teams as Umar Akmal set off for a risky single on his first ball, only to be allowed to pick up an extra over throw. 

Misbah and Umar Akmal kept the scoreboard ticking over as the game headed for a tight finish as Pakistan required 26 to win in the last three overs. Just as the pressure was starting to build on the batsmen, Narine bowled a short delivery, as Misbah pulled the ball over the boundary for a six, and reached yet another half century. With 15 required in the last two over, Umar Akmal looked to seal the game for Pakistan as he struck back to back boundaries off the first three balls of the penultimate over of the game.

Off the final ball of the 30th over, a leg bye secured a victory for Pakistan. For the first time in many months a big smile spread across Dav Whatmore's face, as Misbah embraced Umar Akmal as they walked off the field.

Fall Of Wickets
1-20 (Ahmed Shehzad, 4.1 ov)
2-60 (Nasir Jamshed, 14.2 ov)
3-132 (Mohammad Haffez, 23.3 ov)
4-144 (Shahid Afridi, 25.2 ov)


Match Summary:

After scoring 261 in the first innings thanks to a superb, unbeaten century by Samuels, West Indies would have felt confident against a Pakistani batting line up which has been poor as of late. However, the Pakistani batsmen responded well, and chased down a reduced total in 31 overs comfortably in the end, thanks to half centuries by Misbah & Hafeez. Hafeez scored some much needed runs, whilst the entire batting line up batted positively and rotated the strike well.


Next Game:

5th ODI at St. Lucia, Wed. July 24th, 9:30 (local)

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