Edwards misses century

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC):

Kirk Edwards fell just short of his second first-class hundred, but Khurram Manzoor succeeded in scoring his 13th, as West Indies A drew with Pakistan A in their badly rain-affected, opening four-day 'Test' yesterday.

After Kraigg Brathwaite was dismissed for 130, Edwards took control of the Windies-A batting with an innings of 94 that allowed the home team to declare on 305 for three in their first innings, about 20 minutes after lunch on the fourth and final day.

Windies A were then put under pressure, as Manzoor used the remainder of the day to hit an even, undefeated 100 to lead Pakistan to 156 for one when stumps were drawn at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex.

The result meant that the two-match series remains level at 0-0, with the final match to start on Wednesday at the same venue.

West Indies A continued from their overnight 216 for one, with Brathwaite and Edwards firmly entrenched. But Brathwaite was caught at deep mid-off in the second hour from the bowling of left-arm spinner, Zulfiqar Babar, who ended with three wickets for 122 runs from 52.5 overs.

The teenaged Windies A opener struck one dozen boundaries from 414 balls in8¹/_⁴ hours of batting and added 169 forthe second wicket with Edwards.

He had also put on 91 for the first wicket with left-handed opener Kieran Powell, whose dismissal for an even 50 on the second day seemed a long time ago.

Edwards caught

Windies A were 260 for two in the first hour and reached 297 for two at lunch, as Edwards and Assad Fudadin continued to grind away. They continued after the interval to give Edwards a chance at his 50, but Zulfiqar had him caught at cover. He struck eight fours and one six from 273 balls in just over six hours of batting and put on 45 with Fudadin for the third wicket, before his dismissal prompted the Windies A declaration.

West Indies bowled steadily to restrict Pakistan A to 38 without loss at tea, but their bowlers were punished after the break, as Manzoor cut loose.

Odean Brown trapped Umair Khan lbw for 15 in the first hour after the break, but Umar Amin came to the crease and shepherded the opener to his landmark, which came on the stroke of the close from 154 balls in three hours and included eight fours and two sixes.

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES-A 1st Innings

(overnight 216 for one)

K. Powell c S. Masood b Zulfiqar Babar 50K. Brathwaite c Anwar Ali b Z. Babar 130K. Edwards c Anwar Ali b Zulfiqar Babar 94A. Fudadin not out 15Extras (b5, lb3, nb8) 16

TOTAL (3 wkts decl'd, 145.5 overs, 13:28) 305

Did not bat: J. Carter,D. Bernard, +D. Ramdin, V. Permaul, J. Holder, O. Brown, S. Gabriel.

Fall of wickets: 1-91 (Powell), 2-260 (Brathwaite), 3-305 (Edwards)

Bowling: Yasir Arafat 25-9-50-0; Anwar Ali 30-15-52-0 (nb2); Junaid Khan 25-16-56-0 (nb4); Zulfiqar Babar 52.5-14-122-3; Faisal Isbal 4-1-7-0; Umer Amin 9-3-12-0 (nb2)

PAKISTAN-A 1st Innings

Khurram Manzoor not out 100Umair Khan lbw b Brown 15Umer Amin not out 27

Extras (b11, nb3)

TOTAL (1 wkt, 50.3 overs) 156-1

Did not bat: Aamer Sajjad,Faisal Iqbal, +Sarfraz Ahmed, Shan Masood, Yasir Arafat, Junaid Khan, Anwar Ali, Zulfiqar Babar.

Fall of wickets: 1-51 (Umair Khan)

Bowling: Gabriel 7-1-17-0 (nb1); Holder 9-2-14-0 (nb1); Bernard 4-1-6-0; Brown 16.3-3-51-1 (nb1); Permaul 14-2-51-0.