Poor batting lets down Pakistan

Kingstown (St Vincent), April 13: Pakistan batting failed to come to terms with the variable bounce of Arnos Vale pitch as it wilted and doomed the tourists to their first defeat against the West Indies in the triangular one-day series here on Wednesday (briefly reported in Thursday's edition).

Chasing a target of 214 in 50 overs, Pakistan were devastated by the Jamaican fast bowler Franklyn Rose, who bagged a career best haul of five for 23 to bowl the tourists out for only 117 in 41.3 overs.

After containing the West Indies for 213, the target of just over four runs an over was made to look a huge struggle by Pakistan's inept batting. Their fragility and the gaping hole in their batting line-up was fully exposed as wickets one batsman followed another.

If not for a solid and defiant unbeaten 51 in 94 deliveries by the in-form Inzamam-ul-Haq the outcome could have been even more embarrassing. His partnership for the sixth-wicket with his captain Moin Khan (20) was the only resistance that Pakistan could offer after losing five wickets for just 41 runs in twenty overs.

Imran Nazir had no clue when a delivery from Curtly Ambrose reared at him and got the inside edge to wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs in the first over.

Shahid Afridi hit one in the air and was caught at mid-off by Philo Wallace off Reon King after making five. Younis Khan (15), like Afridi, looked impetuous and committed the same blunder as he pulled and mistimed Rose to King at mid-on to Reon King. In the same over, Yousuf Youhana flicked one to leg off Rose and held at short square leg by Wavell Hinds before he had scored. Rose then forced Abdur Razzaq to play on to his stumps for two. The bald pace bowler later accounted for Moin Khan (20) and Wasim Akram in his second spell.

Later local by Nixon McLean picked up two wickets in one over to signal the end.

Earlier, West Indies, after having won the toss, were restricted to 213 for seven in the allotted 50 overs as spinners Mushtaq Ahmed, Arshad Khan and medium-pacer Abdur Razzaq bowled a tight length to bag two wickets each.