KINGSTON, Jamaica, 14 March 2007 — Pakistan were set 242 to win by West Indies in the opening match of the 2007 World Cup at Sabina Park here yesterday.
After keeping the hosts on a tight rein for most of the innings, Pakistan bled late runs after they won the toss and chose to field with a hard, true pitch rolled out.
Several batsmen got starts, but Marlon Samuels was the only one that passed 50. He struck five fours and three sixes in the top score of 63 off 68 balls. Captain Brian Lara, vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, and Dwayne Smith all played crucial knocks along the way to beef up the West Indies’ total. West Indies were set back early when Chris Gayle was caught behind for two off Umar Gul in the third over.
Sarwan came to the wicket, and was dropped first ball, when Younis Khan failed to hold onto his top-edged cut.
The nerves of the West Indies vice-captain settled, and he prospered hitting a couple of rasping offside strokes off Rana Naved ul-Hasan to lift his confidence. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was quietly playing the anchor role before Iftikhar Anjum struck to have him caught behind for 19 in the 20th over.
Iftikhar struck another important blow, when Sarwan drove off the back-foot at a widish delivery and was caught at second slip — this time Younis holding on.
This meant Lara joined Samuels at the wicket with West Indies on 77 for three in the 25th over, and the two batsmen put on 91 for the fourth wicket to revive the innings. Samuels played some enterprising strokes. He totally dismissed the threat of Danish Kaneria with an over in which he struck the leg-spin bowler for two sixes and a four. At this stage, Lara was a mere passenger, and he was overshadowed by Samuels before he was caught behind off Mohammad Hafeez for 37 in the 42nd over.
Hafeez also had Samuels caught at long-on in the 44th over to leave West Indies 181 for five and a little unsteady.
Dwayne Smith quickly eradicated the instability with a quickfire 32 from 15 balls, hitting a couple of huge sixes off Hafeez and Iftikhar before he was caught at mid-on in the penultimate over. This left Dwayne Bravo and the bowlers to get West Indies a competitive total, and Corey Collymore brought things to an exciting conclusion, when swatted Iftikhar for a six over long-on.
Pakistan have never beaten West Indies in a One-Day International at Sabina Park.
