Gayle has Pakistan in a flat spin
KARACHI, Pakistan, Monday (Reuters) - Chris Gayle took five wickets
as West Indies swept to an emphatic 276-run win over Pakistan on the
fourth day of the first Test in Barbados on Sunday.
The victory came as a fitting finale for the West Indies at the
historic Kensington Oval ground hosting its last match before it is
renovated for the 2007 World Cup, when it will stage the final.
Pakistan, requiring 573 runs for an improbable win, were bowled out
for 296 shortly after tea with Gayle finishing with five for 91 as the
home side finally ended a depressing season to take a 1-0 lead in the
two-match series.
The win came after West Indies were beaten 2-0 by South Africa in a
test series and also lost a one-day series 5-0 to them and were than
outclassed 3-0 by Pakistan in one dayers.
West Indies scored 345 and 371 in the match with Pakistan being
humiliated in the first innings after they were skittled for 144 runs
with pacer Fidel Edwards taking five for 38.
But even the absence of Edwards with a hamstring injury after bowling
just eight balls in the Pakistan second innings and a cracking 122 from
95 balls by Shahid Afridi could not stop the West Indies from completing
a well deserved win.
Afridi was in a savage mood when Pakistan resumed their second
innings on 113 for four in the morning morning, making the home side pay
for dropping him on the first ball he faced in the day.
Devon Smith spilled an easy chance at long-off from Gayle's bowling.
The 25-year old than produced a series of powerful shots scoring his
half century from 38 balls with a pull through mid-wicket and than
taking another 40 balls to reach his third test hundred with a four off
Darren Powell.
He than smashed Gayle for two big sixes over square leg in the next
over to complete his dominance over the bowlers.
Afridi's second-fastest hundred by a Pakistani came after he lost his
overnight partner Asim Kamal (55) in the first hour, caught at slip by
Smith off Gayle.
Shortly before lunch Afridi holed out to wide mid-off miscuing a big
hit off Powell to Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was enjoying his first
test success as captain.
Gayle than went to work after lunch when Pakistan resumed on 274 for
six first having Abdul Razzaq stumped for 41 and then forcing Rana Naved
(6) to hit straight to Brian Lara at mid-off.
Gayle also bowled Kamran Akmal for 21 with a sharp turner and than
wiped up the innings with Danish Kaneria's wicket to finish with his
second five-wicket haul.
The second test starts in Jamaica from June 3 with Pakistan having
lost the chance to win their first test series in the Caribbean. |