Razzaq inspires Pakistan to victory over West Indies by AFP

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Ground:	Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown
Scorecard:	West Indies v Pakistan
Player:	CH Gayle, Salman Butt, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Yousuf
Event:	Pakistan in West Indies 2004/05

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DateLine: 17th May 2005

 

Pakistan silenced a capacity holiday crowd and heaped more scorn on West Indies, when they completed a workmanlike, come-from-behind 59-run victory in the first One-day International.

 

West Indies, chasing a modest 193 to win from their allocation of 50 overs, were dismissed for 133 in 45.2 overs to give the Pakistanis a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

 

Abdul Razzaq, who had a delayed departure from Pakistan because of illness to his mother-in-law, snared four wickets for 29 runs from nine overs to be the pick of the Pakistan bowlers and earned the Man-of-the-Match award.

 

Dwayne Bravo with 27 from 66 balls and Chris Gayle with 22 from 21 balls were the leading lights for West Indies, who have now lost all except two of the ODIs they have contested, since winning the ICC Champions Trophy in Britain last year.

 

"The boys did well, and we put in a lot of effort in the field, particularly the bowlers," Razzaq told reporters after the match.

 

"We have just come from India, where the boys played really well, so everybody wants to continue doing well, and have been putting in a big effort."

 

Shabbir Ahmed, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, and Shahid Afridi all supported Razzaq with two wickets apiece.

 

But it was a huge disappointment for the crowd.

 

In 15 matches at Arnos Vale, they have become accustomed to seeing West Indies win, since the home team has lost only once here, coincidentally to Pakistan 12 years ago.

 

"I thought our bowlers did well to restrict the Pakistanis," West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul acknowledged.

 

"But the batting let us down again, and there really is no excuse for us losing this match. It was not a big total, and I felt that we should have gotten it.

 

"We continue to struggle to build partnerships in our batting, and we need to start doing this if we are to have any chance at winning matches. I do believe we can come back, but we will have to get out of this losing habit."

 

The crowd had seen West Indies bowl steadily and field alertly to dismiss the Pakistanis for 192 in 44.3 overs, after they were sent in to bat on a hard, true pitch under sunny skies.

 

But the multitude was still settling down from the interval, when Xavier Marshall top-edged a hook and was caught behind for three off Rana in the fifth over.

 

Two overs later, Gayle again got carried away and he too, top-edged a hook and Kamran Akmal again obliged Rana to leave West Indies 26 for two.

 

Runako Morton, playing his first ODI in almost three years, joined Ramnaresh Sarwan and they calmed things down with circumspect, if not flourishing batting until the 18th over.

 

Sarwan, a little fortunate to have been ruled not out in the previous over when television replays suggested he might have under-edged a delivery from Rana to Kamran, did not make the most of the reprieve and was caught at first slip off Shabbir for nine.

 

West Indies continued to bleed wickets and, in a purple patch for Pakistan, five fell for 34 runs in the space of 10 overs to give the visitors a firm grip on the match.

 

Morton was caught behind for 13 off Afridi in the 22nd over, and Wavell Hinds continued to struggle for form. Razzaq put him out of his misery when he bowled him off the inside edge for 11 in the 25th over.

 

Chanderpaul, who Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq dropped on 13 at slip off Razzaq in the 27th over, also failed to make the most of his chance, and was caught behind for 13 off the same bowler in the 27th over.

 

Then, Courtney Browne was dismissed for a duck when he gave a simple return catch to Afridi in the 28th over to leave West Indies 77 for seven.

 

Ian Bradshaw joined Bravo and added 39 for the eighth wicket in the biggest partnership of the innings to raise hopes of another dramatic finish, but Razzaq snuffed that out when he struck in the 41st over.

 

Bradshaw, essaying a lofted straight drive, was deceived by the bowler's slower delivery, and was caught and bowled for 17, and after his dismissal, there was to be no comeback for West Indies.

 

Earlier, opening batsman Salman Butt hit three fours in the top score of 43 from 63 balls for Pakistan, and added 42 for the third wicket in the biggest stand of the innings with Yousuf Youhana, who scored 30 from 46 balls.

 

Gayle, bowling his off-spin, was the most successful West Indies bowler, taking three for 48 from his allotment of 10 overs, and Bradshaw collected two for 27 from seven.

 

Afridi gave Pakistan a flying start, but was one of three batsmen that were run out.

 

He had scored 24 at better than a run-a-ball, when he failed to beat Corey Collymore's throw from third man to Browne in the sixth over.

 

Shoaib Malik was caught behind off Bradshaw for 13 in the 13th over, before Salman and Youhana steadied the innings with their partnership.

 

Salman was caught at cover point off Bravo in the 23rd over, and Youhana was run out in the 30th over to trigger a Pakistani batting collapse that saw the visitors lose their last seven wickets for 59 runs in just under 15 overs.

 

The two teams move to the neighbouring island of St. Lucia, where they will contest the next two ODIs at Gros Islet on Saturday and Sunday, before meeting in a two-Test series.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 AFP)