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Cricket
Youhana, Latif flay West Indies attack
By Dicky Rutnagur
SHARJAH, FEB. 1. Pakistan extracted from the West Indies a crippling price for dropping a chance early on the second day of the first Test. Play had not been in progress for 20 minutes when Mervyn Dillon, having already passed Rashid Latif's bat two or three times, at last found the edge, only to see Chris Gayle, at first slip, stick out one hand at the head-high snick and drop it.
Latif, 28 at the time in a total of 235, celebrated his reprieve to the extent of scoring 150, his first-ever century in 29 Tests and his overnight partnership with Yousuf Youhana, which was worth 57 at the time of Gayle's lapse, had realised 204 before it was broken, with Youhana bowled for 146, his second three-figure in successive Test innings and his third in three consecutive Tests with the West Indies.
West Indies' bowlers were footsore and dispirited by the time the breakthrough was made after and they had salt rubbed into their wounds by the last four wickets adding 111 runs to raise the total to 493. West Indies, which had 18 overs to face before the close, began its reply promisingly, however, openers Daren Ganga and Chris Gayle putting on 54 without being separated. However, Gayle had an escape four overs from the close when short mid-wicket failed to hold a fierce pull off Waqar Younis.
Used as a part-time off-spinner, Gayle took the last three wickets to fall. The catch Gayle missed was by no means difficult, but he would have had a better chance of pouching it if he had not been positioned wider than where first slip normally stands.
Despite this setback, West Indies' bowlers stuck to their task manfully and none more bravely than the unlucky bowler, Dillon, who was kept on for a long spell from the paviloion end. Youhana progressed with measured step and it was Latif who was more active in raising the scoring rate.
In a morning session extended to accommodate afternoon prayers on the Muslim Sabbath, Latif contributed 78 to Youhana's 66. He became increasingly belligerent after Youhana was out, playing outside the line at Cameron Cuffy.
Saqlain lent passive support to Latif, while 56 runs were added and Latif was eighth out for 150, scored off 234 balls with sixteen 4s and two 6s. He drew back from the leg stump to try and slash Gayle through the covers and was comprehensively bowled. His departure hardly brought relief to the West Indies for, Waqar and Shoaib flayed them mercilessly, hitting three 4s and three 6s between them while adding 36.
The scores:
Pakistan - 1st innings: Taufeeq Umar b Hooper 24; N. Latif lbw b Dillon 0; Younis Khan c Gayle b Hooper 53; Inzamam-ul-Haq c Jacobs b Dillon 10; Yousuf Youhana b Cuffy 146; A. Razzaq c Jacobs b W. Hinds 34; R. Latif b Gayle 150; Saqlain Mushtaq c & b Dillon 17; Waqar Younis (not out) 25; Shoaib Akhtar b Gayle 20; Danish Kaneria c & b Gayle 0; Extras (b-6, lb-7, w-1) 14; Total 493.
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-45, 3-80, 4-94, 5-178, 6-382, 7-438, 8-457, 9-493.
West Indies bowling: Dillon 42-10-140-3, Collins 33-3-96-0, Cuffy 35-10-75-1, Hooper 32-7-85-2, R. Hinds 4-0-31-0, W. Hinds 8-1-26-1, Gayle 7.5-0-27-3.
West Indies - 1st innings: D. Ganga (batting) 11; C. Gayle (batting) 41; Extras (nb-2) 2; Total (for no loss) 54.
Pakistan bowling: Waqar 7-2-27-0, Shoaib 5-0-21-0, Razzaq 3-0-4-0, Kaneria 2-0-2-0, Saqlain 1-1-0-0.
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