CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – West Indies pulled off a tie, from the brink of defeat, in a thrilling finish to their third ODI against Pakistan at the Beausejour stadium yesterday.
Chasing 230, after Pakistan posted 229 for six off their 50 overs, West Indies scored 229 for nine off 50 overs.
Twenty-one year-old fast bowler Jason Holder, the youngest member of the West Indies team, held his nerve in the last over when West Indies required 15 runs from six balls.
In an eventful last-wicket partnership with fellow Barbadian Kemar Roach, they took 14 off the decisive over, bowled by Wahab Riaz, as Holder lashed a four off the third ball and a massive six over extra cover, off the fifth.
The equation was then three runs off the final ball before Holder edged to third-man and collected another two runs, which tied the scores. Holder seemed to be short of his ground on the second run, as the throw came back to Pakistani wicketkeeper Umar Akmal, but he failed to collect the ball. That secured an unlikely result for West Indies who struggled against tight bowling from the combined Pakistani spin and pace attack before and after a crucial fourth-wicket partnership between Marlon Samuels and Lendl Simmons.
Paceman Mohhamad Irfan tilted the match in favour of Pakistan in the late afternoon when he broke the critical partnership of 91 off 22 overs between Simmons (75) and Samuels (46).
Once he had Samuels caught behind, edging a lifting ball with the score on 141 in the 39th over, and then Saeed Ajmal accounted for Simmons, caught at deep midwicket by Shehzad, with the score on 178 for five, Pakistan continued to collect wickets and control the game.
West Indies went into the last 10 overs with the score on 144 for four, needing 85 runs off 60 balls, but were in deep trouble as Captain Dwayne Bravo, Keiron Pollard and Darren Sammy all went cheaply in the space of eight balls.
Spinner Sunil Narine gave the home team a glimmer of hope, with a fiery 14 off five balls, but once it was left to the last wicket pair, Pakistan fancied their chances of moving ahead 2-1 in the series.
However Holder’s unbeaten 19, from nine balls, ensured that the series remain 1-1 after the two teams won a match each in Guyana.
Earlier, Pakistan were steered to their modest total with a fighting half century from captain Misbah-ul-Haq who held the innings together when Pakistan had seemingly lost their way.
Ul-Haq scored 75, off 112 balls, before he was yorked by Dwayne Bravo to be fifth out in the 44th over with the score on 174.
A crucial seventh-wicket partnership between wicketkeeper Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz, who put on 52 off 26 balls, also helped to push Pakistan beyond 200 when they appeared unable to reach the target mark at one stage.
Akmal was unbeaten on 40 and Wahab, 19 off 10 balls, before it later fell again to Wahab, this time with the ball, to put a victory stamp on the game. He was unable to and the honours were shared.
The fourth ODI will be played in St. Lucia tomorrow.
