Pakistan beats West Indies by four wickets

Bang in the middle of the desert and on a cool and breezy day, West Indian captain Chris Gayle threatened to blow the opposition away but Pakistan produced a late fightback to restrict them to 294 for 9 in 50 overs in the first one-day international of the Fortune Cup three-match series at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

West Indian captain Gayle had no hesitation to take first strike on a wicket which was a perfect batting strip, but also had something in it for the bowlers who used their mind a bit.

After a cautious start against the Pakistan new ball bowlers Sohail Tanvir and Abdul Rauf, the West Indian skipper cut loose and threatened to take the game away from Pakistan.

From a modest beginning of just 11 runs from the first five overs, Jamaican Gayle went into overdrive, taking medium pacer Abdul Rauf to the cleaners, especially in the eighth over the innings.

In the eighth over, Rauf bowled short of a length and the skipper slammed it to midwicket boundary for his third boundary and the team’s third as well.

In the same over, Gayle smashed Rauf for a straight boundary and off the next ball, glanced it to the third man fence to finish up the over. Gayle, who was on 15 at the end of the seventh over, moved to 32 off just 21 balls with Rauf having conceded 17 runs in that over. West Indies had raced to 41 for no loss, thanks to that blitz. Rauf’s five-over spell read 5-0-55-0. Prior to that eventful over, his spell had read 4-0-33-0.

Umar Gul, who came on as first change and replaced a battered Rauf at the South Stand End, too wasn’t spared. Gayle whacked Gul for a huge six over midwicket and followed it up with an identical shot which had the same result. Gul’s first over cost 13 runs for Pakistan, which also included a no-ball.

The 29-year-old Gayle brought up his half century with a two off Gul. His knock of 50 came off 36 balls and was peppered with seven boundaries and three mighty sixes. He had 22 dot balls in that half-century.

While Gayle went on a rampage, fellow opener Sewnarine Chattergoon played the second fiddle to perfection. He just milked the singles and twos. His first boundary came after West Indies had crossed 50, and were 59 for no loss. His first boundary came off Sohail Tanvir.

Southpaw Chattergoon too tried to match up his mate but wasn’t as fluent as his captain. He tried to hoick Gul at one time over midwicket but didn’t time it well. The skier landed in no man’s land.

Off the next over, he scooped it off his pads for a boundary as West Indies raced to 93 for no loss in the first 15 overs. Gayle had made 58 off 45 balls with eight boundaries and three sixes while Chattergoon had moved to 29 off 47 balls with four boundaries.

West Indies opted for the third Power Play after the 15 overs. The batting side are allowed to opt for one Power Play. With the innings slipping out of his hands, Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik brought himself on to stem the run flow. Replacing Gul, who too was smashed around the park, Malik’s off-breaks gave away just three runs off his first over. Malik introduced spin at both ends, bringing on Shahid Afridi, who replaced Rauf, for his leg breaks. Gayle’s eyes lit up and he smacked Afridi’s third ball for a six over midwicket.

Pakistan finally achieved the breakthrough when Chattergoon didn’t get on top of the ball and skied Malik only to be caught at long on by Khurram Manzoor. His knock of 33 came off 55 balls with four boundaries. The first wicket partnership was worth 125 runs. West Indies were cruising along at a run rate of 6.41 then.

West Indies were still chugging along nicely at 151 for the loss of one wicket and then 168 for one when Gayle brought up his century off just 89 balls with 10 boundaries and five lip-smacking sixes. Gayle earned a reprieve just after his century, when on 109, but Gul failed to hold onto a lollipop after Gayle had hit it back to him.

But that didn’t prove costly as three balls later, Gayle was caught by Afridi off Gul to end a smashing innings of 113 from the West Indian captain.

His knock was studded with 11 boundaries and five sixes and came off 106 balls. He had a strike rate of 106.60. it was his 17th ODI century and the second one on the trot.

The second wicket partnership between him and his deputy Ramnaresh Sarwan was worth 73 runs, with Sarwan doing the bulk of the scoring with 43, and Gayle 28.

West Indies had moved to 198 for 2 by the 35th over and Sarwan reached his half century by cutting Gul, who bowled short and outside off, between cover and point for a boundary. Afridi removed Sarwan with wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal lapping it up after Sarwan had nicked down the leg side.

The run flow slowed down a bit as Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Xavier Marshall worked their way around to take West Indies to 255 for 4 by the 44th over. Marshall tried to smash Gul but missed and was castled.

Their partnership was worth 42 runs. Lower down, wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh and Australian-born Brendan Nash pushed West Indies to 294 for 9. Sohail Tanvir was on a hat-trick in the final over, removing Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell but Nikita Miller denied him that.

Sohail Tanvir finished up with three wickets while Umer Gul too had three wickets.