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West Indies beat Pak, end Test dry spell
Chris Gayle claimed five wickets with his offspin today and the West Indies completed a 276-run victory against Pakistan with a day to spare.
- Indo-Asian News Service
- Updated: February 25, 2007 09:52 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
Bridgetown:
Chris Gayle claimed five wickets with his offspin today and the West Indies completed a 276-run victory against Pakistan with a day to spare, its first Test in nearly a year. Even a century from Shahid Afridi could not avoid defeat for Pakistan at Kensington Oval. The two-test series moves to Jamaica for the second match on Friday. It was the West Indies' first test victory since June 2004 when the Caribbean side beat Bangladesh. Since then, it had lost four in a row to England and a recent test series with South Africa 2-0 with two draws. Afridi (122) lashed six sixes and nine fours in his third test century, but Pakistan, facing a mammoth victory target of 573, was bowled out for 296 just after the lunch interval. West Indies on a roll Gayle ended with five for 91, his second five-wicket haul in Tests. The West Indies should have had early success when Afridi and Asim Kamal resumed the Pakistan innings at 113 for four. But Devon Smith dropped a dolly at long off in the day's second over to give Afridi a reprieve on 35. The right-hander, overnight 32, continued to play with typical flourish and passed his half century off 38 balls with his second six, a towering pull off Corey Collymore which cleared the scoreboard at square leg. Kamal also collected his 50, off 81 deliveries, in the same over with his seventh four. He was caught shortly after at slip, by Smith off Gayle for 55 as he gloved a square cut. Kamal and Afridi shared a frantic fifth-wicket stand of 115 in just 96 minutes. Crucial partnership Afridi continued to blaze away despite the setback and Collymore and Gayle bore the brunt of his surge. He added another pulled six off Collymore and moved from 86 to 97 in one Gayle over with a four and a six onto the roof of the Kensington stand at midwicket. The 25-year-old brought up his second test century against the West Indies with a disdainful swat off Collymore that just failed to carry for another six. He was caught at mid-off by Shivnarine Chanderpaul as he miscued a lofted drive. He batted for 175 minutes and faced 95 deliveries. The right-handed Razzaq, who shared a stand of 95 with Afridi in just 79 minutes, was in sight of a half century as Pakistan lunched at 274 for six. The Test was the last at Kensington before the ground is renovated for the 2007 World Cup. (AP)Topics mentioned in this article
Cricket Chris Gayle
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