Patient Wasim collects century

Mohammed Wasim completed a patient century to pilot Pakistan to a strong position against West Indies 'A' on a rain-affected second day at Kensington Oval yesterday.

Pakistan were dismissed shortly before 6 p.m. for 346 in reply to the 'A' team's 160 all out on the opening day.

Facing a deficit of 186, West Indies 'A' will have to bat most of the two remaining days to try to avoid defeat.

Only 62 overs were bowled on a day when two-and-a-quarter hours were lost because of rain.

Rain delayed the start of play until 10:50 a.m. and in the 17 overs possible Pakistan added 55 runs to be 209 for three, with Wasim unbeaten on 98.

Younis Khan fell on the stroke of the interval, caught by Sylvester Joseph in the covers off Marlon Samuels for 26.

When 108 and the score 271 for four, Wasim pulled a short delivery from left-arm pacer Pedro Collins straight to Mahendra Nagamootoo at square-leg and could hardly hide his disappointment when Nagamootoo dropped the very easy catch.

Wasim eventually fell for 111, made in 325 minutes off 210 deliveries, and hit 12 fours.

Saqlain played with some enterprise for 31, including three fours, before he was caught and bowled by Collins.

Arshad Khan, who used the long handle to good effect in scoring 15, drove a ball from Dillon straight to Ramnaresh Sarwan at extra-cover and he too failed to hold on. Khan had not yet scored and Pakistan were 282 for seven.

He made good use of his fortune before losing bat and wicket to Nagamootoo.

Essaying a massive swing, Khan's bat flew from his grasp into the mid-wicket region, while the ball travelled to cover point where it was caught by substitute fielder Ryan Hinds.

Shortly before, the batsman had hammered Nagamootoo through extra cover for four. In the previous over he also clobbered Corey Collymore through the same region for one of his three boundaries.

The tall, well-built Pakistani never showed any desire to get in line to the faster bowlers but the 26 run eighth-wicket stand with Saqlain Mushtaq halted the progress of the 'A' team bowlers.

The real counter-attack had come earlier, through the strokeplay of the powerful Shahid Afridi who clouted five fours and a six in racing to 38 off 42 balls in 43 entertaining minutes.

He was particularly severe on off-spinner Marlon Samuels who, for the most part, bowled with a fair degree of control from the northern end.

Afridi took 19 runs from Samuels in just two overs. In his 16th, Afridi hoisted Samuels over long-on into the bottom section of the Hall and Griffith Stand for six, and then took three boundaries off his next over.

Dillon replaced Samuels and broke the 50-run fifth-wicket stand between Afridi and Wasim in a spell in which he picked up three wickets, including Afridi and acting captain Waqar Younis off successive deliveries.

Wasim and Afridi both went to catches by keeper Courtney Browne while Younis lost his off-stump first ball.

Pakistan scored 112 runs for the loss of six wickets in 36 overs in the final session. The last six wickets fell for 75 runs.

Dillon finished with three for 52, Collins three for 84 and Samuels two for 65.