Late Show Wins It For Pakistan In Abu Dhabi

Late Show Wins It For Pakistan In Abu Dhabi

Chris Gayle opens the innings for the West Indies.

©Action Images / Reuters / Andy Clark Picture Supplied by Action Images

Pakistan 295-6 (Khurram Manzoor 69, Baker 3-47) beat
West Indies 294-9 (Gayle 113, Sohail Tanvir 3-42) by four wickets
Scorecard
1st One Day International, Abu Dhabi

Kamran Akmal hit 16 runs in the final over as Pakistan beat the West Indies by four wickets with a ball to spare in the first One Day International in Abu Dhabi.

Chris Gayle hit his 17th One Day International century as the West Indies made 294 for nine before Kamran Akmal's 24 not out from just nine balls helped Pakistan get over the line.

The West Indies won the toss and chose to bat first and Gayle smashed a 36-ball half-century as West Indies reached 151 for one after 25 overs. He went on to reach his century in 90 balls and by the time he was dismissed, caught by Shahid Afridi off of Umar Gul, he had made 113 with 11 fours and five sixes.

Sewnarine Chattergoon was the first man to fall, ending a 125-run opening partnership with Gayle when he was caught by Khurram Manzoor off of captain Shoaib Malik for 33 from 55 balls.

Ramnaresh Sarwan hit a fluent half-century, adding 73 for the second wicket with Gayle before he was Afridi's second wicket, caught behind by Kamran Akmal for 55.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul hit a swift 36 from 33 balls and Xavier Marshall 26 from 22 balls before Pakistan grabbed late wickets, Carlton Baugh (five), Brendan Nash (nine), Jerome Taylor (three) and Daren Powell (nought) all falling cheaply as Sohail Tanvir (3-43) and Gul (3-66) shared six wickets.

Salman Butt (24) and Khurram Manzoor put on 64 for the first wicket before Butt was bowled by debutant Lionel Baker - the first man from Montserrat to represent the West Indies in a full international.

Manzoor went on to hit 69 in 89 balls and added 78 for the second wicket with Younus Khan (56) as Pakistan made an assured start to the run chase.

West Indies hit back with Jerome Taylor having Manzoor caught behind, Baker had Younus caught by Chattergoon before Misbah-ul-Haq was bowled by Nikita Miller for seven.

Captain Shoaib Malik got his side back on track with an innings of 60 from 50 balls but after Shahid Afridi fell for four and Malik followed, caught by Chanderpaul off of Taylor in the 48th over, it looked like game over.

Akmal and Fawad Alam had other ideas, Alam hitting 26 from 25 with one boundary and Akmal hitting three sixes in an extraordinary late display of power hitting under pressure.

© Cricket World 2008