Uncomfortably close, says Adams

ST. JOHN'S (ANTIGUA), MAY 30. Heroic West Indies captain Jimmy Adams was a relieved man on Monday evening after spearheading his team's sensational one-wicket victory over Pakistan and clinching the three-match cricket series 1-0.

``It was bit too close for comfort,'' said Adams, whose unbeaten 48 pushed the home team to its victory target of 216 a half-hour before tea. ``But as they say, all's well that ends well. We are very happy with the result.''

The West Indies, 144 for four overnight, slipped to 197 for nine on the fifth and final day before Adams and his most experienced player, Courtney Walsh, put on 19 runs for the last wicket to secure the win.

The 32-year-old Adams, in his first season as skipper, batted 5 and half hours, facing 212 balls without hitting a boundary.

Adams successfully shielded his less accomplished partner, as he had attempted to do with all the fast bowlers, and eventually scampered the winning run when an inside edge rolled off his pad into the off side.

``We had a plan and the plan was either going to work or it was not going to work,'' adams said about his decision to turn down clear runs in order to take most of the strike himself. ``We weren't going to be making three and four and five plans. We had one plan. We figured that was the one to work and we stuck to it.''

The plan took West Indies home with Walsh surviving 24 balls to be four not out.

But the Pakistanis thought they had won at 200 for nine, when Walsh was caught at short leg off Saqlain Mushtaq's off-break. TV replays indicated that the ball had deflected off bat and pad to the fielder, but umpire Doug Cowie of New Zealand ruled in favor of the batsman.

Pakistan captain Moin Khan, though, was circumspect. ``It happens in a tough series. These things happen. They are no regrets from me and my boys,'' Moin said. ``We enjoyed our cricket and we played good cricket.''

Moin called it an ``exciting match.'' ``The way the boys played throughout the series and especially in this match was tremendous,'' he said.

Pakistan could also have wrapped up the game with a run out with West Indies still 14 short of its goal. The gilt- edged chance was muffed by bowler Saqlain Mushtaq. Younis Khan's wayward throw to bowler Saqlain from short fine leg with Walsh and Adams at the striker's end was dropped, allowing Walsh time to scamper back.

Despite losing the series, Moin was full of praise for his team. ``It's a young side. Whatever they did in the Caribbean was a great effort throughout.''

Adams had similar sentiments. ``We are very happy again with the effort that we've put in. We're very happy and extremely grateful for the fact that we have a positive result.''

The West Indies squad of 16 leaves for the five-Test summer tour of England, while Pakistan's next assignment is the Asia Cup one- day tournament in Dhaka.

- AP

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