Athanaze scripts WI's commanding start against Shaheens

Rameez Jnr spearheads Shaheens' bowling charge with three wickets

Middle-order batter Alick Athanaze’s anchoring 99-run knock put West Indies in a commanding position on the opening day of the three-day practice match against Pakistan Shaheens here at the Islamabad Club Ground on Friday.

Opting to bat first, the touring side got off to a decent start to their innings as skipper Kraig Brathwaite and fellow opener Mikyle Louis put together a rampant 47-run partnership.

Brathwaite, who was the core aggressor of the opening stand, was first West Indian batter to return to the dugout after scoring a brisk 34 off 39 deliveries with the help of five fours and a six.

Following the early hiccup, Louis joined hands with Keacy Carty and knitted an important 42-run partnership for the second wicket until both fell victim to Mohammad Rameez Jnr in quick succession to leave the visitors reeling at 90/3. Louis made a cautious 34 off 63 deliveries, while Carty made a 46-ball 22.

Coming out to bat at number five, Athanaze soon took the reins of West Indies' batting expedition with a gritty knock. The left-handed batter put together one-sided partnerships with Kavem Hodge (17), Justin Greaves (five) and Tevin Imlach (13) before finally falling victim to Ahmed Safi Abdullah just one run shy of his well-deserved century.

Athanaze remained the top-scorer for the West Indies with a magnificent 99 off 142 deliveries, comprised of 15 fours and a six. Following his dismissal, Amir Jangoo and wicketkeeper batter Joshua de Silva batted sensibly in the closing minutes of the opening day to add crucial 26 runs amid their unbeaten eighth wicket partnership.

Rameez Jnr was the standout bowler for the Shaheens, picking up three wickets for 40 runs, while Ahmed bagged two. Hussain Talat, on the other hand, chipped in with a wicket.

The duo of Amir and de Silva, unbeaten on 29 and 11 respectively, will resume West Indies' first innings from 273/7 on the penultimate day of the tour match.

The three-day match serves as an opportunity for Pakistan and West Indies to hon their skills ahead of the two-match Test series, scheduled to run from January 19 to 29.

Scores in brief

Warm-up match (Day 1 of 3): Pakistan Shaheens vs West Indies at the Islamabad Club Ground

Toss – Uncontested

West Indies 273-7, 74 overs (Alick Athanaze 99, Kraigg Brathwaite 34, Mikyle Louis 34, Amir Jangoo 29 not out, Keacy Carty 22; Mohammad Rameez Jnr 3-40, Ahmed Safi Abdullah 2-91)