Misbah led from the front and, along with Umar Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez, helped Pakistan to a comfortable victory. PHOTO: WICB
Inclement weather, the Duckworth/Lewis (D/L) method and a lightning assault by Pakistan’s middle-order batsmen stole the thunder from the West Indies as the visitors snatched the rain-affected fourth One-Day International (ODI) by six wickets.
In a match already reduced to 49 overs-per-side and after Marlon Samuels blazed an unbeaten 106 in the home team’s total of 261 for seven, Pakistan were set a revised target of 189 off 31 overs as a second shower of the day interrupted play when they were 68 for two off 17 overs.
Needing a further 121 off 14 overs, half-centuries from Mohammad Hafeez and captain Misbahul Haq sped the visitors to the target with one over to spare.
“It was like a Twenty20 game when we came back out,” said Misbah. “Hafeez and I realised that we just had to play normal cricketing shots and look for the odd boundary. It was a case of not panicking and just staying focused on the target.”
Following a tie in the third match two days earlier, Pakistan now have an unbeatable 2-1 lead going into the fifth and final match at the same Beausejour Stadium venue tomorrow.
West Indies seemed a dejected bunch when they took the field after being told by the umpires of the revised target, and Pakistan capitalised, Hafeez and Misbah crashing 54 runs off five overs before home captain Dwayne Bravo tried to get his team back into the match.
Hafeez fell to Kemar Roach for 59, an innings decorated by five fours and two hooked sixes off fast-medium bowler Jason Holder, while Bravo himself accounted for Shahid Afridi who was promoted up the order to accelerate the Pakistan scoring.
However, new batsman Umar Akmal (29*) maintained the required scoring tempo and with Misbah showing his remarkable versatility in speeding along to 53 off 43 balls at the other end to keep his team well on course, it was left to Akmal to finish off the match with three consecutive boundaries off the disheartened West Indies captain.
“When we came back on the field after the recalculation, two of our main bowlers [Roach and Sunil Narine] had already bowled five overs so we were virtually without their services at this crucial stage,” said Bravo, who conceded 49 runs off six overs.
Earlier, Samuels returned to something like his sumptuous best, stroking four sixes and nine fours off 104 balls in a feast of batsmanship in the midday sunshine.
He put on 95 for the fifth wicket with Lendl Simmons, who supported Samuels’ classy assault with a belligerent 46 off 44 balls. Both helped the home side reach a respectable total of 261 for seven.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 23rd, 2013.
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COMMENTS (5)
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@Que: Nasir has scored quite a lot in this series. He had a bad call in first ODI, scored a 50 in second, played the bad shot in third and was sold by hafeez in fourth. Asad got a stunner in first ODI, played a bad shot in second and he is out of team. If you ask me, i would want to see only one of Hafeez and afridi playing in team.
@MJ: What about other players who have not performed in this series: Nasir, Hafeez, Asad. Afridi single-handedly won the first match!!!!! So why dont you Go Uck urself!
Will somebody somewhere please tell the Akmal brothers to stop shouting when they are wicket keeping? They don't need to boost the bowlers especially Afridi....or is it a tactic to unnerve the batsman? They are as bad as some of the female tennis players who screech every time they hit the ball.
No comments about Misbah and his 'tuck, tuck' strokes?
Where are all the afridi fans must be back in their caves.
I would give Misbah 10 chances before giving Shahid Afridi one more. With his performance in the first match he will now have to be endured by our country for another dozen or so till he is dropped again. His scores since that fluke of an innings have been 5, 1 and 7 and he did not do much with the ball either.