Pakistan Brush Aside West Indies To Reach World Cup Semi-Final

Pakistan Brush Aside West Indies To Reach World Cup Semi-Final

Mohammad Hafeez hit an unbeaten half-century to guide Pakistan to a massive win over the West Indies

©REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (BANGLADESH - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Pakistan 113-0 (Mohammad Hafeez 61no) beat
West Indies 112 (Chanderpaul 44no) by ten wickets
ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 quarter-final, Dhaka
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Pakistan marched into the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in emphatic style with a crushing ten-wicket win over the West Indies in a one-sided quarter-final in Dhaka.

They produced an outstanding bowling performance to dismiss the West Indies for 112 before openers Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal saw them to their victory target inside 21 overs.

Spinners Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez shared eight of the wickets to fall while pacers Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq grabbed a wicket apiece.

Hafeez opened the bowling and immediately had an impact, trapping Devon Smith in front for seven and then repeating the trick to remove Darren Bravo without scoring to finish with figures of two for 16.

The West Indies were in trouble at 14 for three when Bravo went as Chris Gayle has also been dismissed, caught by Afridi off Gul for eight.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (25 in 68 balls) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (44 not out in 106) then came together and put on 42 for the fourth wicket but once their partnership was broken - Afridi removing Sarwan - there was little further resistance.

Chanderpaul hit one six, but no boundaries as he grimly held the innings together and hauled the West Indies past three figures, aided by an unlikely ally in Kemar Roach, who made 16 from number ten in the order to become the only other player to reach double figures.

Afridi removed dangermen Kieron Pollard (1) and Devon Thomas (0) before ending the innings with the wicket of Ravi Rampaul, bowled without scoring as he once again led by example in the field with four for 30.

Recalled off-spinner Ajmal (2-18) struck twice in one over when he had Darren Sammy trapped in front and Devendra Bishoo bowled with a wicked doosra.

Roach was finally dismissed when he was caught by Younus Khan off Razzaq, ending a 43-ball innings.

Having opened the bowling superbly, Hafeez then opened th ebatting in style, hitting ten fours as Pakistan produced one of their best batting starts of the competition.

The right-hander faced just 64 balls on his way to 61, scoring his eighth ODI half-century as the West Indies were run ragged in the field.

Akmal made 47 in 61 balls, just missing out on a half-century but hitting seven fours as none of the four West Indian bowlers came close to making a breakthrough.

Pakistan will now play the winner of the match between Australia and India, which takes place in Ahmedabad on 24th March. The semi-final is in Mohali on 30th March.

© Cricket World 2011