WI chases test series win versus Pakistan

The West Indies will be looking to complete a Test series win when the second of the two- match series against Pakistan bowls off today, Friday in Jamaica from 11am ECT/ 10am Jamaica.

West Indies are one up in the series, after eeking out a nervy one-wicket win last Sunday, at the same Sabina Park venue.

The West Indies were set 168 to win, but Pakistan bowlers, led by Shaheem Shah Afridi, had the regional side on the ropes at 151 for 9, with only 19 -year-old Jayden Seales to bat.

Seales, who had earlier took career best 5 for 55, joined Kemar Roach and the two took the West Indies over the line. Roach was left not out on 30 from 52 balls and Seales a valuable two runs from 13 balls.

Afridi had creamed off the West Indies top order, leaving them at 16 for 3, before Roston Chase and Jermaine Blackwood stitched up the chase with a fourth-wicket stand of 68, before Chase fell for 22.

West Indies then went to 92 for 5, with the loss of Kyle Mayers for a second duck in the match, and then 111 for 6, when Blackwood was dismissed for 55. But Jason Holder (16) and Joshua Da Silva (13), kept the West Indies’ hope alive. Their dismissals, along with Jomel Warrican (6), left Roach and Seales to do the rest.

Afridi finished with 4 for 50, Hasan Ali, 3 for 37 and Faheem Ashraf, 2 for 29.

Before their last-wicket heroics, Seales’ five wicket haul and Roach’s 3 for 30, restricted Pakistan’s second innings to 203. Babar Azam led with 55, Abid Ali, 34 and Mohammad Rizwan, 30, gave Pakistan a fighting chance, and posted a target of168. Seales, who became the youngest West Indian bowler to take a five-wicket haul, was named player of the match.

When the match began on Thursday, Pakistan posted 217. Fawad Alam scored 56, Faheem Ashraf, 44 and Babar Azam, 30.

Bowling for the West Indies, Jason Holder had 3 for 26, Seales took 3 for 70 and Roach, 2 for 47.

In reply, West Indies, on the back of Kraigg Brathwaite’s 97 and Jason Holder’s 58, scored 253.

For Pakistan, Afridi scalped 4 for 59 and Mohammad Abbas, 3 for 43.

Summarised scores: Pakistan – 217 and 203; West Indies – 253 and 168 for 9.

Since, the start of the year, the West Indies beat Bangladesh 2-0 in Bangladesh, while their two-match series versus Sri Lanka, ended 0-0 at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua.

The West Indies, though, were beaten by South Africa 2-0 in June, when the two sides met at the Daren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia.