2nd T20 WI v PAK: Pakistan end Caribbean tour on a high – beat W.I.
From Emirates 247
Pakistan complete one-day double over world T20 champions
Pakistan wrapped up their tour of the West Indies with an 11-run win in the second Twenty20 international in St Vincent on Sunday to complete a one-day double over the world T20 champions.
The visitors ran through the home team’s top order at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown to lay the foundation for success as they defended a modest target of 135 for seven by restricting the West Indies to 124 for nine from their 20 overs.
It ensured a successful conclusion to Pakistan’s tour on the back of a 3-1 win in the five-match ODI series played in Guyana and St Lucia.
1ST T20: BABAR CLINCHES LAST-BALL THRILLER
Opener Ahmed Shehzad scored a breezy 44 in 53 balls but was not supported by his partners. His departure for the fourth wicket in the 13th over brought Umar Akmal to the crease and he took over the scoring responsibility on a slow track.
While spinner Sunil Narine threatened to sweep through the rest of the Pakistan batting, taking three wickets in a second spell at the end of the innings, Akmal helped push the tally to 135 with an unbeaten 46 off 56 balls.
In reply, West Indies lost their first three wickets in three overs, including another failure for Chris Gayle, who lobbed a ball straight to cover and was out for one.
Dwayne Bravo, Narine and Kieron Pollard threatened a dramatic rescue, even though the asking run rate went to more than 12 an over.
During a dramatic 17th over, Pollard smashed 20 runs off the first four balls with two sixes landing on the roof of the stand.
Zulfiqar Babar then had him caught in the deep and took a second wicket with the next ball, dismissing Bravo in similar fashion. Tino Best, the last man in, threatened some drama too with two huge sixes but fell short in the end.
WEST INDIES INNINGS
Pakistan bowlers came up with a disciplined performance to defeat West Indies by 11 runs in the second Twenty20 International to clean sweep the series.
Chasing 136 to win, West Indies were in trouble early on when they lost four wickets for just 17 runs.
Dwayne Bravo (35) and Sunil Narine (28) revived the hopes sharing a 47-run for the fifth-wicket but the required run rate seemed to be cropping up.
Kieron Pollard suddenly sprang life into the match smashing the first four balls of Zulfiqar Babar’s fourth over for 20 runs. But he succumbed the very next ball.
Tino Best also provided a glimpse of hope firing two sixes during his unbeaten 17 but his efforts could only take West Indies to 124 for nine in 20 overs.
Umar Akmal struck an unbeaten 46 after Ahmed Shehzad had set the foundation scoring a gritty 44 as Pakistan posted a competitive 135 for seven in 20 overs.
But it was Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine who stole the show with some impressive bowling performances.
While Badree took two wickets in the top order, Narine claimed three including the wicket of Shahid Afridi as West Indies ensured they kept a check on Pakistan’s score.
So the last over for Windies. They need 23 runs off it. Looks very difficult with just one wicket in hand. WI 113-9 in 19 overs
Sammy is gone. Nothing much he could do as he holes one to Afridi in the deep. WI 105-9 in 18.3 overs.
Barnwell is run out and West Indies in trouble again. WI 105-8 in 18 overs.
D Barnwell run out 10 (5b 2×4 0x6)
Bravo follows immediately playing a very similar shot to hole one at long on. Double success for Bravo. WI 94-7 in 17 overs.
D Bravo c Hammad Azam b Zulfiqar Babar 35 (44b 2×4 1×6)
Pollard smashes 20 from four balls but succumbs in the fifth. But he has given Windies a hope here. WI 94-6 in 16.5 overs.
K Pollard c Haris Sohail b Zulfiqar Babar 23 (10b 2×4 2×6)
Still no big shots coming. Credit to Pakistan bowlers. WI 74-5 in 16 overs.
Pollard taking his time. But the required runrate steeping. WI 69-5 in 15 overs.
Pollard is in as Windies need 71 from 36 deliveries. He needs to get those big ones. WI 65-5 in 14 overs.
Narine is out as Ajmal strikes. WI 64-5 in 13.3 overs.
S Narine c Umar Amin b Saeed Ajmal 28 (16b 3×4 1×6)
Narine gets 12 runs from Babar’s over. WI 60-4 in 13 overs.
West Indies need 88 from 48 balls. They need some urgent big shots. WI 48-4 in 12 overs.
Ajmal bowls a fine first over. WI 41-4 in 11 overs.
Finally some smiles among the spectators. Two sixes, one each from Bravo and Narine off Afridi. WI 38-4 in 10 overs.
West Indies have a uphill task here. They have sent Narine probably to get some quick runs. WI 22-4 in 9 overs
Afridi tastes success in his first over to remove Simmons. West Indies in serious trouble. WI 17-4 in 8 overs.
L Simmons b Shahid Afridi 3 (16b 0x4 0x6)
Bravo and Simmons still not getting opportunities to open up, thanks to Babar’s good over. WI 15-3 in 7 overs.
A boundary finally for Windies. This partnership will be crucial. WI 13-3 in 6 overs.
Pakistan skipper continues to keep it tight. Just one run from it. WI 6-3 in 5 overs.
Tanvir bowls another superb over. WI 5-3 in 4 overs.
Nothing going right for West Indies as they lose another wicket of Samuels. Tanvir is having a great time bowling out there. WI 4-3 in 3.1 overs.
M Samuels c Umar Akmal b Sohail Tanvir 1 (4b 0x4 0x6)
Pakistan bowlers doing a great job. West Indies have a mountain to climb now. WI 4-2 in 3 overs.
Hafeez does it again. He removes Gayle for second time in a row in two days. WI 2-2 in 2.2 overs.
C Gayle c Shahid Afridi b Mohammad Hafeez 1 (3b 0x4 0x6)
Early success for Pakistan. Tanvir removes Charles. WI 2-1 in 2 overs
J Charles c Umar Akmal b Sohail Tanvir 0 (9b 0x4 0x6)
Charles, Gayle open for Windies. Hafeez bowls for Pakistan. WI 1-0 in 1 over.
PAKISTAN INNINGS
An unbeaten 46 from Umar Akmal boosted a flagging Pakistan as they eventually reached 135 for seven against the West Indies in the second and final Twenty20 international at the Arnos Vale Stadium on Sunday
The wicketkeeper-batsman’s late assault in lifting the tourists from 109 for seven in the 18th over could prove crucial.
Despite 44 from opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad, it appeared as if Hafeez would have been made to regret the decision to bat first on winning the toss.
He fell cheaply to Samuel Badree and with wickets continuing to tumble at regular intervals, West Indies appeared to have their opponents in a real stranglehold as they struggled to get the ball on a blistering afternoon.
Badree’s effort of two for 20 was a vast improvement from the previous day but it was his Trinidad and Tobago compatriot and fellow spinner Sunil Narine who finished with the best figures of three for 26.
Akmal takes on Bravo and gets some big hits. He is on 44. Pak 129-7 in 19 overs.
A boundary from Babar of his very first ball. Pak 113-7 in 18 overs.
One more for Narine. He is on a roll here. Pakistan fast collapsing. Pak 109-7 in 17.5 overs.
Sohail Tanvir c Bravo b Narine 0 (3b 0x4 0x6)
Narine takes another. Pakistan losing the battle here as wickets tumble. Pak 109-6 in 17.2 overs.
Hammad Azam st Charles b Narine 1 (2b 0x4 0x6)
Windies doing a good job here. Pakistan made to work hard for every run. Pak 108-5 in 17 overs.
Narine takes the big wicket. Afridi falls cheaply. Pak 97-5 in 16 overs
Shahid Afridi c Samuels b Narine 5 (10b 0x4 0x6)
Still no fireworks from both the batsmen. Pak 91-4 in 15 overs.
Two dangerous batsmen in the middle. Akmal and Afridi should be looking to post a big score. Pak 84-4 in 14 overs.
Pollard gets smashed for a six but gets Shehzad out the next ball. Good knock from Shehzad. Pak 78-4 in 12.5 overs.
Ahmed Shehzad c Simmons b Pollard 44 (46b 4×4 2×6)
Bravo bowls a tight over. Just three runs off it. Pak 69-3 in 12 overs.
Shehzad gets aggressive. Hammers a six and a boundary. Pak 66-3 in 11 overs.
Badree completes a brilliant spell. He has conceded only 16 runs from his four overs claiming two wickets. Pak 55-3 in 10 overs.
Umar Akmal is in. A lot will depend on him since Pakistan is under pressure at the moment. Pak 51-3 in 9 overs.
Badree is on a roll. Takes his second wicket in style running back to take a brilliant catch off his own bowling. Pak 42-3 in 8 overs.
Haris Sohail c&b Badree 1 (4b 0x4 0x6)
Sammy bowls another impressive over. Pak 41-2 in 7 overs.
Debutant Haris Sohail comes into bat. He has a big responsibility here.
Sammy removes Amin. Good catch off his own bowling. Pak 39-2 in 6.1 overs.
Umar Amin c&b Sammy 7 (6b 1×4 0x6)
A good over for Pakistan despite Narine bowling. 10 runs coming off it. Pak 39-1 in 6 overs.
Narine comes into attack.
Amin makes a good start with a boundary. Pak 29-1 in 5 overs.
West Indies strike. Badree who went wicketless yesterday claims the first one for Windies. Pak 24-1 in 4 overs.
Mohammad Hafeez c Simmons b Badree 10 (7b 1×4 0x6)
Shehzad gets a boundary. Pak 17-0 in 3 overs.
Good over from Badree. Four runs coming off it. Pak 10-0 in 2 overs.
Pakistan begin on a positive note with a boundary from Shehzad. Pak 6-0 in 1 over.
Hafeez, Shehzad to open for Pakistan. Sammy to bowl for Windies.
Pakistan have won the toss and will bat first.
PLAYING XI:
West Indies: J Charles, C Gayle, M Samuels, L Simmons, K Pollard, D Bravo, D Sammy, C Barnwell, S Narine, S Badree, T Best
Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Haris Sohail, Shahid Afridi, Hammad Azam, Sohail Tanvir, Zulfiqar Babar, Saeed Ajmal, Asad Ali
Pakistan will aim to end their tour of the Caribbean on a high by winning the second Twenty20 international at Arnos Vale Ground in St Vincent on Sunday.
Having won the ODI series 3-1, Pakistan underlined their dominance with a thrilling last-ball victory in the first T20 match on Saturday.
Clear skies are expected despite light showers interrupting Saturday’s match with Pakistan just beating the rain.
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