WI crash to defeat

DESPITE FIGHTING knocks from Jason Holder and captain Kraigg Brathwaite, the West Indies succumbed to a 109-run loss to Pakistan on the final day of the second Test at Sabina Park.

Holder top-scored with 47, while Brathwaite batted a long time for his 39, as the West Indies, resuming on 49 for one chasing 329 for victory, folded for 219. The result meant Pakistan levelled the series at one game apiece in the two-match series.

The home side had pulled off some remarkable run chases in the past, but this time Shaheen Shah Afridi and his Pakistan bowling cohort ensured that was not going to happen this time around, as the visitors picked up wickets at regular intervals to seal the deserved win.

Afridi was once again the main destroyer, bagging four wickets for 43 runs, to finish the match with 10 wickets and secure the Man of the Match and Man of the Series awards.

The left-arm quick snared the wickets of nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph for 17, Kyle Mayers for 32, Joshua da Silva for 15 and last man Kemar Roach for seven.

Left arm-spinner Nauman Ali would finally get in on the action, as he picked up three wickets, including the crucial scalps of Jermaine Blackwood, who made 25, Brathwaite and the innings' top-scorer Holder, who held the innings together somewhat in the latter stages.

Holder had shared in two 40-plus partnerships, first putting on 46 with Mayers and then 40 with da Silva.

Medium pacer Hasan Ali chipped in with two wickets for 37 runs.

Losing captain Kraigg Brathwaite was disappointed at the loss.

“This game totally let us down because we were behind the eight ball from the beginning. Test cricket is not easy and the first 30 balls for a batter is always tough. Having said that, we need to figure it out, but I still think the series was positive,” said Brathwaite. “The team did a superb job in the first Test. Kudos to the bowlers as they did a fantastic job.”

 

SCOREBOARD

PAKISTAN 1st innings 302-9 decl.

WEST INDIES 1st Innings 150

PAKISTAN 2nd Innings 176-6 decl.

WEST INDIES 2nd Innings (target: 329 runs)

(overnight 49 for one)

*K Brathwaite c F Alam b N Ali 39

K Powell run out 23

A Joseph c wkp M Rizwan b S Afridi 17

N Bonner lbw b Hasan Ali 2

R Chase c Imran Butt b Hasan Ali 0

J Blackwood c wkp M Rizwan b N Ali 25

K Mayers c wkp M Rizwan b S Afridi 32

J Holder c F Alam b N Ali 47

+J Da Silva c Faheem Ashraf b S Afridi 15

K Roach lbw b S Afridi 7

J Seales not out 0

Extras (b4, lb2, w1, nb5) 12

TOTAL (all out, 83.2 overs) 219

Fall of wickets: 1-34 (Powell), 2-65 (Joseph), 3-69 (Bonner), 4-73 (Chase), 5-101 (Blackwood), 6-113 (Brathwaite), 7-159 (Mayers), 8-199 (Holder), 9-212 (Roach), 10-219 (Da Silva)

Bowling: Mohammad Abbas 14-3-42-0, Shaheen Shah Afridi 17.2-5-43-4, Hasan Ali 14-6-37-2, Faheem Ashraf 13-5-36-0, Nauman Ali 22-7-52-3, Fawad Alam 3-1-3-0.

Result: Pakistan won by 109 runs.

Series: Two-match series drawn 1-1.

Man of the Match: Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Man of the Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: G Brathwaite, J Wilson; TV – N Duguid.