West Indies threw away three wickets for nine runs Tuesday to hand Pakistan a 30-run victory and a berth in the finals of the
triangular VB Series limited-overs competition against Australia.
The Windies, chasing Pakistan's big total of 307 for 8, had been going well until the 33rd over when, at 194 for 3, Ramnaresh Sarwan started the rot which cost them dearly.
The vice-captain, facing spinner Shahid Afridi, made a reckless attempt to hit him over mid-wicket but was fooled by the wrong 'un, allowing wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal to complete a tidy stumping.
Sarwan had provided the backbone of the West Indies innings and his dismissal for 87 off 91 balls gave Pakistan the lift they needed.
Just four runs later Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was on 58 from 64 deliveries, spooned a chest-high catch to Pakistan captain Inza-mamul Haq at extra cover.
The slower delivery from Iftikhar Anjum had fooled Chanderpaul but it
would have been close to being called a wide had he chosen to leave it.
Dwayne Bravo then came to the crease and also misread a delivery from spinner Afridi to be bowled on middle and off stump for just one, with the Windies suddenly in deep trouble at 203 for 6 in the 35th over.
Wavell Hinds and Courtney Browne steadied the innings, putting on 54, and for a while it looked like the Windies would steal the show.
But Hinds holed out to Inzamam -- who had a splendid day in the field with two good catches -- for 30 and the Windies were on 257 for 7 with the tail exposed.
Pace bowler Ian Bradshaw
Final standings in the limited-overs international VB Series between Australia, West Indies and Pakistan on Tuesday:
Team P W L NR BP Pts
Australia 6 4 1 1 4 27
Pakistan 6 3 3 0 2 17
W Indies 6 1 4 1 2 10
Note: Five points for win, three for a no result, one for a bonus point.
arrived and departed for a duck, bowled by Navedul Hasan. Then Pedro Collins fell for one with the score at 262 for nine in the 46th over.
Iftikhar wrapped up the innings when he dismissed Courtney Browne for 36, meaning the Windies had lost their last seven wickets for just 83 runs.
Naved was the main destroyer for Pakistan taking 4-29 off 9.1 overs.
Pakistan's total of 307 for 8 was the second highest international one-day total recorded at the WACA Ground and only the fifth time a team had scored more than 300 at the venue.
Pakistan's performance came hard on the heels of their impressive three-wicket win over the previously unbeaten Australians at the same venue on Sunday. It is sure to boost them for Friday's first final in Melbourne.
After winning the toss and sending Pakistan in to bat, the West Indies missed several opportunities to put them under pressure.
They paid a heavy price after failing to capitalise on two-clear run-out chances in the 17th and 20th overs which could have seen top-scorer Yousuf Youhana dismissed for either seven or 15.
Instead Yousuf went on to clock a brilliant 106 off 100 balls. He and Inzamam, who made 74, set their team on the road to a big score with a 134-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Big-hitting Afridi also contributed with his usual flair, belting 23 runs off 10 balls, including two sixes before being bowled by Bradshaw.
Bradshaw was the pick of the West Indian bowlers, taking 3-47 off 10 overs.
West Indies captain Brian Lara
said Pakistan could go on to win the finals. "I don't think it's going to be one-sided," he said.
Pakistan's late burst of form, on a tour which has seen them lose the Test series 3-0 to Australia, came as a huge relief to Inzamam.
"It is very satisfying because I think the boys played really well," said Inzamam.
"The boys are really playing well now because I think they are used to the playing conditions.
"Everybody knows we are not favourites in the finals -- definitely. But we will try hard ... we will try our level best."
SCOREBOARD
Scoreboard of the triangular VB Series one-day international between Pakistan and the West Indies at the Western Australian Cricket Association Ground on Tuesday:
PAKISTAN
Butt c Browne b Bradshaw 19
Akmal c Bravo b Bradshaw 17
Hameed b King 24
Youhana run out 105
Inzamam b Bravo 74
Razzaq st Browne b Hinds 7
Afridi b Bradshaw 23
Malik not out 8
Naved run out 3
Extras: (lb-4, w-19, nb-4) 27
Total: (For 8 wkts in 50 overs) 307
Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-44, 3-90, 4224, 5-248, 6-279, 7-300, 8-307
Did not bat: Iftikhar, Khalil
Bowler O M R W
Collins 10 0 46 0
Bradshaw 10 1 47 3
King 10 0 60 1
Hinds 5 0 44 1
Gayle 5 0 51 0
Bravo 10 0 55 1
WEST INDIES
Gayle c Browne b Naved 0
Powell c Kamran b Naved 23
Sarwan st Akmal b Afridi 87
Lara c Iftikhar b Khalil 19
Chanderpaul c Inzamam b Iftikhar 58
Hinds c Inzamam b Khalil 30
Bravo b Afridi 1
Browne b Naved 36
Bradshaw b Naved 0
Collins c Khalil b Iftikhar 1
King not out 3
Extras: (lb-3, w-11, nb-5) 19
Total: (All out in 48.1 overs) 277 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-67, 3-99, 4-
194, 5-198, 6-203, 7-257, 8-259, 9262
Bowler O M R W
Naved 9.1 0 29 4
Iftikhar 9 0 67 2
Khalil 10 0 59 2
Razzaq 9 0 61 0
Afridi 10 0 47 2
Butt 1 0 11 0
Result: Pakistan won by 30 runs. Man-of-the-match : Yousuf Youhana.
Toss: West Indies.
First final: Aus v Pak, Feb 4.