Facile win for Pakistan

GEORGETOWN, MAY 1. Pakistan tuned up for next week's first Test with a comfortable 107-run win over the West Indies under-23 on Sunday.

Guyanese opener Azeemul Haniff made a dour 75 and 18- year-old Jamaican Marlon Samuels a sparkling 61 in reply to a forbidding target of 329, but their teammates went cheaply and the under-23s totalled only 221 in the second innings.

Pakistan used six bowlers on the rain-hit fourth and final day, with Saqlain Mushtaq returning the best figures of three for 37.

Paceman Mohammad Akram followed up his five for 16 first innings haul with two for 28. Mushtaq Ahmed and Shahid Afridi also took two wickets apiece.

Left-hander Haniff, who made his side's top score of 46 in the first innings, and Samuels came together with the under-23s struggling on 96 for five. They delayed the outcome with a defiant stand of 104 in 110 minutes, but once separated Pakistan quickly wrapped up victory.

Haniff finally edged a delivery from off-spinner Saqlain to substitute fielder Moin Khan at slip. He batted for 280 minutes and hit a 6 and eight 4s while facing 193 balls. Samuels raced to his half-century in 95 minutes off 99 balls and his 50 came up with a delightful cover drive off leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed. Eleven runs later he was bowled by Saqlain.

The opening Test between West Indies and Pakistan starts in Georgetown on Friday.

The scores: Pakistan 299 & 172 for four decl. bt West Indies under-23 143 & 221 (A. Haniff 75, M. Samuels 61, Saqlain Mushtaq three for 37).

- Reuters

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