Shehzad century steers Pakistan to victory

Ajmal, Hafeez and skipper Afridi shared six wickets for 102 runs in 30 overs between them.


Afp April 26, 2011

ST LUCIA:


Opener Ahmed Shehzad struck his second one-day international hundred to anchor Pakistan to a confident seven-wicket victory over West Indies on Monday.

Shehzad hit seven fours and one six in his 102 from 148 balls as Pakistan successfully chased 221 for victory in the second ODI at the Beausejour Cricket Ground. Umar Akmal carried the visitors over the threshold with 12 balls remaining when he lofted a delivery from Dwayne Bravo to long-off for the final boundary of the match. The result means that Pakistan take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series after winning the first game by eight wickets on Saturday at the same ground. Pakistan have now won their last seven ODIs against West Indies, a sequence spread over the last four years.


 

Pakistan spinners restrict Windies to 220

Pakistan spinners Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and skipper Shahid Afridi restricted West Indies to a modest 220 all out in the second one-day international on Monday.

The three exploited another docile Beausejour Cricket Ground pitch after Pakistan, who won the first game on Saturday by eight wickets, chose to field.

Ajmal, Hafeez and skipper Afridi shared six wickets for 102 runs in 30 overs between them, and only West Indies opener Lendl Simmons looked close to getting on top of them, leading the way with 51 from 48 balls, which included four fours and two sixes.

Hafeez made the first breakthrough when he trapped left-handed opener Devon Smith lbw for 16 in the sixth over, and Ajmal struck with his first delivery when Darren Bravo was caught at slip for 12 to leave West Indies 58 for two in the 12th over.

From there the pressure mounted on the West Indies batsmen once Afridi employed an all-out spin attack and wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals.

Marlon Samuels made 29 and Kemar Roach, batting at nine, scored 24, but no other West Indies batsman passed 20.

Pakistan fielded an unchanged 11 but West Indies brought leg-spinner Anthony Martin in for his international debut to replace fast bowler Andre Russell.

The third and fourth ODIs will be played this coming Thursday and next Monday at Kensington Oval in Barbados, with the final match of the series three days later at the Guyana National Stadium.

Pakistan have won their last seven ODIs against West Indies spread over the last four years, with the hosts most recent victory a 54-run triumph in the opening match of the 2007 World Cup staged in the Caribbean at Sabina Park in Jamaica.

COMMENTS (6)

Amer | 12 years ago | Reply Ahmed Shehzad is the future of Pakistan opening. There should be a close to any discussions of bringing back Kamran Akmal as a batsman. We don't need K Akmal at all, he should have done the graceful thing and announced his retirement already.
haziq ali | 12 years ago | Reply well done Shazad. The way you batted in 2 ODI must be keep up always instead to bat in haste.
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