THE OVAL: West Indies beat Pakistan by two wickets in a match of the ongoing Champions Trophy at the Oval on Friday night.
Chasing a small total of 170 set by Pakistan, West Indies lost eight wickets before achieving the target in 41th over.
Earlier, Misbah-ul-Haq was stranded four short of what would have been his first one-day century in 118 matches.
Misbah, who could have been out twice before he had scored, struck three sixes in his 96 not out before Pakistan were finally dismissed for a modest 170 with two overs to spare after being asked to bat.
Kemar Roach took three for five from 14 deliveries with the new ball and Sunil Narine captured three for three from 10 balls in the middle of the innings with his flighted off-spin.
Roach ripped through the Pakistan top order in a lively spell from the Vauxhall end after West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo had won the toss and decided to field first.
Bravo dived across from second slip in front of Chris Gayle to grab a low catch off Imran Farhat (2) off the final ball of Roach’s opening over.
Roach then knocked over Mohammad Hafeez’s middle stump when the Pakistan number three had scored four and Asad Shafiq was out without scoring when he upper-cut a Roach delivery straight to Ravi Rampaul at third man.
It could have been even worse for Pakistan when Misbah survived a confident appeal for lbw from Roach shuffling half forward before he had scored.
Off the next ball he was given out by Steve Davis caught behind by Denesh Ramdin. But after Davis had consulted with his fellow umpire Nigel Llong, the decision was reversed when the pair decided the wicketkeeper had not had effective control of the ball after making the catch.
Misbah was then dropped on four at short-leg by Kieron Pollard off Narine.
Narine accounted for opener Nasir Jamshed for an obdurate 50, Shoaib Malik (0) and Kamran Akmal (2) after Pakistan had rallied from 15 for three to 105 without further loss.
Wahab Riaz (6) and Saeed Ajmal (2) were both run out and Gayle took a magnificent leaping one-handed catch at slip to account for Junaid Khan (0) off Bravo’s bowling.
Misbah, who was on 67 when the ninth wicket fell, found a willing partner in the tall Mohammad Irfan who contributed just two to a last-wicket partnership of 32 from 46 deliveries before Bravo took his third catch off the innings.
