Sport - Cricket

Pakistan clinches series

ABU DHABI: A strong bowling display helped Pakistan beat the West Indies by 24 runs on Friday in the second one-day international, and also gave the team victory the three-match series. Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan was all out for 232 in 49 overs.

Despite a century by Shivnarine Chanderpaul (107 not out), the capacity crowd at the 20,000-seat Zayed Stadium, comprising mostly of Pakistan supporters, was not disappointed as the West Indies was bowled out for 208.

In the first match on Wednesday, Pakistan won by four wickets. The final match of the series is on Sunday.

The victory was set up by Sohail Tanveer, who first contributed 26 runs in 20 deliveries for Pakistan, and later picked up two for 32. The left-arm paceman had six wides in his first three overs, but also bowled two superb deliveries to remove both the West Indies openers before they could score a run.

Captain Chris Gayle, who scored a century in the first match, was bowled by an in-swinging yorker in the last ball of his first over. And all Sewnarine Chattergoon could do against a ball that left him late was nick it to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.

Chanderpaul played an extremely scratchy knock and he was dropped twice — on 17 and 63 — by Saeed Ajmal. The bowler to suffer the first time was Umar Gul, followed by Shahid Afridi.

The West Indian, named the ICC Cricketer of the Year for his consistent performance in 2007-08, laboured to his 50 in 94 balls. Both his boundaries until then were results of inside edges which whistled past the wickets. He was a little better thereafter, reaching his ninth ODI hundred in 139 balls with six fours.

But once the West Indies lost Ramnaresh Sarawan (45) after adding 92 for the third wicket with Chanderpaul, it was a lost cause for the Caribbeans.

Ajmal may have dropped the two catches of Chanderpaul, but the off-spinner contained the West Indies batsmen along with Shahid Afridi. Umar Gul (three for 44) was the most successful bowler for Pakistan.

Earlier, West Indies put on a display of line and length bowling to restrict Pakistan to 232. — Agencies

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