MX23RW : Thursday, November 21 12:13:28| >> :600:1591147:1591147:

Live Commentary: Pakistan vs. West Indies - as it happened

Sports Mole provides live text coverage of the World Cup clash between Pakistan and the West Indies.
2

The West Indies recorded their first win at this year's World Cup by claiming an emphatic 150-run triumph over Pool B rivals Pakistan in Christchurch.

Half-centuries from Denesh Ramdin and Lendl Simmons were crucial for the West Indies before Andre Russell helped his side to 310-6 from their 50 overs with an unbeaten 42 from 13 balls.

Pakistan's run-chase got off to a disastrous start as they lost four wickets for just one run, but Umar Akmal (59) and Sohaib Maqsood (50) managed to restore some pride before the defeat was eventually confirmed when they were dismissed for 160 in the 39th over.

Read below to find out how the West Indies secured the comfortable win at the Hagley Oval.


Sort:
Newest
Oldest
Good evening everyone. Ready for some more World Cup action? Yeah, me too. Pakistan and the West Indies meet in Christchurch today as the two sides look to recover from defeats in their respective opening matches. It could be a crucial match in Pool B.

It was labelled a shock earlier this week when Ireland recorded a four-wicket win over the West Indies, but perhaps it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise. The Windies have struggled in their preparations for the tournament, and disputes between the board and players are still believed to be going on. Captain Jason Holder must get his side back to their best today.

Pakistan showed glimpses of excellent cricket in the loss to India last weekend, but they allowed the game to get away from them with some poor bowling in the middle of the innings and a few poor shots in the run chase. You never quite know what to expect from this side. Can they find their first win today?


PAKISTAN WILL BOWL FIRST: Misbah-ul-Haq wins the toss, and he decides to put the West Indies into bat. Only time will tell if that's the right decision, but a couple of early wickets would bring Pakistan's spinners into the game.

A quick reminder that we'll also have coverage of the Pool A match between Australia and Bangladesh, with our live commentary starting at around 3am. However, with heavy rain currently causing problems in Brisbane, that game could be shortened.

PAKISTAN: Shehzad, Jamshed, Y. Khan, Sohail, Misbah-ul-Haq, Maqsood, U. Akmal, Afridi, Riaz, S. Khan, Irfan

I mentioned the spinners earlier on, but Pakistan have decided to leave out Yasir Shah to fit in another batsman as Nasir Jamshed comes into the team at the top of the order. That change will see Younis Khan moved down to number three. To avoid any confusion today, Younis Khan will be Younis, Sohail Khan will be Sohail, and Haris Sohail will be Haris. Got it? Good.

WEST INDIES: Smith, Gayle, Bravo, Samuels, Ramdin, Simmons, Sammy, Russell, Holder, Taylor, Benn

The Windies follow Pakistan in making one change as spinner Sulieman Benn replaces seamer Kemar Roach. That puts more pressure on the likes of Andre Russell and Darren Sammy, who will have to deliver with the ball today.

A quick look at the standings shows you how important a win for either side will be today.


There's plenty of star players on show today, but this World Cup campaign for both sides may be remembered for who are not competing at the tournament. No Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine or Dwayne Bravo for the Windies, while Pakistan are missing Saaed Ajmal, Junaid Khan and Umar Gul due to injury.

The national anthems have just been played in Christchurch, and we're just a few moments away from the first delivery.

Mohammad Irfan will bowl the first over. Dwayne Smith on strike.

Smith attacks the first ball to squeeze a sliced drive past point for four runs, before nudging the next delivery into the leg-side for single. Chris Gayle gets off the mark with a thick edge down to third-man for one. Smith gets himself into an awkward position late in the over as Irfan strikes the opener in the midriff with a shorter ball.

Sohail Khan, who took 5-55 in a losing effort against India, starts his opening spell with a beauty to beat Gayle's outside edge. Gayle then gets off strike with a single off the pads, and Smith scores his second boundary with nothing more than a push down the ground. Smith 9 Gayle 1*

Good work from Afridi at cover to stop a firm drive from Gayle. Irfan thinks he has the key wicket a ball later with a superb delivery, but there's no movement from Gayle or the umpire. Misbah quickly dismisses the idea of using the review. There was a noise, but it was bat on pad. Gayle looks to relieve the pressure on him by charging down and miscuing a shot over mid-off for a couple. Good over from Irfan.

Pakistan's openers are hitting some good areas, and Sohail has an lbw shout rejected when he strikes Smith's front pad. Good decision from Marais Erasmus. The ball would have went over the top of leg-stump. Smith ends a run of four dot balls from Sohail by nudging a single into the leg-side. Just one off the over.

Smith is expecting a shorter one, and he rocks back to pull a single down to fine-leg. Gayle doesn't expect a sharper one from Irfan and he's struck on the glove. Great bowling from the seamer, who towers over everyone at 7'1''. Gayle rides the next short ball to pick up a run. Drop! Big chance for Pakistan. Smith fails to find the right contact when he charges down the pitch to attack Irfan. The ball is up in the air for a long time, but Jamshed makes up the ground at third-man before spilling the catch. It really should have been taken. Just to make it worse, Jamshed appears to have hurt his finger.

WICKET! GAYLE (4) C RIAZ B IRFAN

Irfan strikes a ball after Smith's let off. Gayle follows his aprtner's example with a miscued slog, and Riaz shows Jamshed how it's done by clinging on to a very good catch at fine-leg. Big wicket for Pakistan. Darren Bravo in next.

Sohail goes very full to Bravo, who is the batsman trusted to be out there for a long time in this Windies lineup. Pakistan would love to expose the middle order in the first 10 overs. It's very good bowling from Sohail. Bravo isn't sure whether to play or not outside off-stump. Maiden over.

The pressure is on the West Indies at the moment. Irfan's pace and bounce sends the ball past Smith's outside edge, and that persuades Misbah to bring in a gully alongside the two slips. The captain is left frustrated when Irfan offers up a freebie to allow Smith to smash the ball over cover for four. Irfan responds by beating the bat again when Smith attempts another cut. A miscued pull allows Smith to keep the strike. Smith 7* Bravo 0

Shot! Great timing on show as Smith latches onto a wider ball with a perfect cut for four. Yasir Shah, on the field as a replacement for Jamshed, restricts the opener to two runs with some decent fielding at fine-leg a ball later.

WICKET! SMITH (23) C HARIS B SOHAIL

Smith fails to make the most of the chance given to him by Jamshed. Sohail hits the perfect length to find the outside edge and Haris does the rest at second slip. Marlon Samuels comes to the crease to slice his first ball away for a single. The Windies need a partnership.

Shot! Samuels hits a firm drive straight at cover early in the over, but there's no fielder in the way when he rocks back to pull four runs over mid-wicket. Irfan sends down another short ball, and Samuels gets a bit lucky as a top edge flies away to fine-leg for four more. Bowler and batsman exchange a stare, but Irfan needs to pitch the ball up. Samuels slices another run away to keep the strike.

Samuels is all over the place with his feet at the crease as Sohail nips one past the outside edge. Shot! Much better from Samuels as he gets forward to drive down the ground for four runs. There's an optimistic appeal from Sohail when he responds with another good delivery, but the ball wasn't close to catching the edge on that occasion. Samuels then picks up two through the covers before cutting a couple more past backward point. Bravo 0* Samuels 18

Afridi is into the attack for the first time, and the pressure is on him to deliver today after Pakistan decided to leave out Shah. It's a good start to the over as he changes his pace nicely. Bravo gets off the mark at the 10th attempt when he slices a single over point. It's the only run scored in the over. Pakistan will be very happy at the moment.

Misbah makes another change, and it's spin at both ends as Haris comes into the attack. He's only really a part-tine bowler, but he'll give the ball enough flight to tempt the batsmen. Three dot balls are followed by a boundary as Bravo sits back to hammer four through mid-wicket. A cut for one hands the strike to Samuels, who blocks the final delivery.

Afridi thinks he has Bravo, but credit should probably go to the left-hander, who takes a risk by edging one just past slip. Sohail uses his feet to stop the ball at fine-leg. 'Boom Boom' Afridi is not happy with the fielding, but a replay proves that he did prevent the boundary. The Windies need these two to bat for a long time. Samuels 20* Bravo 10

Samuels finds a single early in the over to hand the strike to Bravo, who sits deep in his crease to cut two to deep cover. A nudge down the ground makes it four off the over from Haris.

Samuels breathes a huge sigh of relief out in the middle. He plays a lazy shot into the air early in Afridi's over, and he's lucky to see the ball drop short of Irfan at deep square-leg. Samuels can't afford to gift his wicket away at this stage. Afridi is left frustrated when a deflection off Bravo's pad sends the ball away for four. Incredibly, Nigel Llong fails to spot the contact and he signals four wides. Afridi's response is to jokingly call for a review. DECISION OVERTURNED! Bravo immediately calls for a review when he's given out caught behind. Snicko doesn't prove there was contact between bat and ball, and it looks like a noise may have come from the bat brushing the pad. Llong is forced to change his decision. Bravo survives.

Wahab Riaz, who is regularly clocked at over 90mph, starts his first spells with a wide one which Samuels cuts away for a single. Bravo gets on top of the bounce well to rotate the strike with a run to point. Samuels sits back to unleash a pull, but he can only send the ball onto his pad via a deflection off the inside edge. Riaz goes very full late in the over to beat the outside edge. Samuels 23 Bravo 15*

Riaz does well in the deep to prevent a boundary when Bravo cuts powerfully early in the over. The West Indies pick the gaps well to collect five off Afridi's bowling. These two have steadied the ship, but they need to turn their starts into big scores.

Bravo gets across his crease to clip a straight one away for a single, before Samuels nudges another run into the leg-side to bring up the 50 partnership. A sharp bouncer is called as a wide by the umpires. Bravo doesn't know much about it, but he manages to collect four runs from a thick outside edge.

Lovely bowling from Afridi as he takes one past the outside edge to leave Samuels feeling for the ball around off-stump. Akmal didn't look convincing behind the stumps, though. Afridi camps in that area for most of the over, and the Windies can only add a single.

Riaz is bowling with good pace and he's found a nice line just outside off-stump, but Samuels and Bravo look solid early in the over. DROP! What a chance for Pakistan. Samuels miscues a pull when Riaz sends down a shorter ball. Afridi does the chasing inside the circle on the leg-side, but he puts the chance down. Are Pakistan going to regret that drop?

Pakistan made a fine start to the match, but they've had chances to put more pressure on the West Indies in the first half of the innings. Samuels and Bravo are good enough to capitalise, despite neither appearing to be at their best today. Afridi's latest over - his sixth - brings jut three runs.

It's been a very aggressive spell so far from Riaz, who has looked dangerous, and he beats Bravo's outside edge with a beauty before seeing the left-hander edge the next ball just short of Haris at slip. Bravo doesn't look comfortable, and he nicks another one down to third-man for a single. A wide full-toss should be punished, but Bravo miscues the shot. Apart from that ball, it was an excellent over from Riaz.

Afridi has bowled pretty well, but he's only really threatened with one or two deliveries today. Samuels and Bravo are happy to pick up singles off the leg-spinner, and they take three from the over.

Shot! Samuels knows what's coming, and he gets on top of a sharp bouncer to hammer four runs through mid-wicket. Another big shot follows, but he fails to connect with a wild swing, and Misbah then does well at mid-off to stop a firm drive. There's a lot of concern later in the over when Bravo is struck on the side of the helmet while looking to complete a sharp single. The throw came in very hard, and it's shaken up Bravo, who needs treatment out in the middle. Thankfully it looks like he will be able to continue. It's unclear whether the ball made contact with his neck, or if the force just shocked Bravo, who gets back to work with a single.

WICKET! SAMUELS (38) C SHAH B HARIS

Haris strikes on his return to the attack! It's a poor shot from Samuels as he sends the ball straight to the substitute Shah, who shields his eyes from the sun before taking a simple catch. That's a crucial wicket for Pakistan.

Bravo nudges a single behind square on the leg-side to hand the strike to Denesh Ramdin, who gets off the mark with a run to long-on. Another single makes it three runs and a wicket from the over.

There's another change of bowling as Sohaib Maqsood comes on to bowl his part-time off-spin. Bravo won't allow him to settle as he cuts a wider delivery past backward point for four. Ramdin skips down the pitch later in the over to nudge a single into the leg-side. The Windies pick up eight from the over without taking a risk.

There will be a bit of concern in the Pakistan camp at the moment. Jamshed still hasn't returned to the field after hurting a finger dropping Smith early in the innings. He's scheduled to open the batting for his side. Haris concedes five off his latest over.

The Maqsood experiment lasts just one over as Irfan returns to the attack for a new spell. Ramdin scores his first boundary in unorthodox fashion as a mistimed pull shot somehow sends the ball through mid-off for four. Bravo and Ramdin work well to pick up a couple of singles. Irfan sends a shorter ball down the leg-side to encourage the umpire to signal a wide. Bravo 44* Ramdin 11

Drop! Afridi puts down another chance. It's a poor delivery from Haris, but Bravo smashes the pull shot straight to Afridi, who doesn't react quickly enough to hold on at square-leg. He's taken a painful blow to the hand, too.

Irfan sends down a couple of sharp bouncers, and Bravo doesn't look confident as he misses with two hooks. A single allows the left-hander to relieve the pressure, and Ramdin steals the strike with a run to deep mid-wicket.

Haris drops one short and Ramdin cashes in to hammer four runs through mid-wicket, before rocking back to cut the next delivery away for four more. Excellent batting. Shot! It gets better as Ramdin drops to one knee to sweep the spinner behind square for another boundary. A single into the leg-side follows, and Bravo pulls powerfully for a run of his own. Irfan is too slow getting down at short third-man, and Ramdin's cut sends the ball to the rope for the fourth time in the over. 18 off the over. Bravo 48* Ramdin 30

Misbah is forced into a change of tactic when the West Indies take the five-over batting powerplay. It's Riaz who returns to the attack, and he starts a new spell by beating Bravo's outside edge. A risky single follows, and there's moor concern for Bravo as he appears to pull up with a hamstring problem.

BRAVO (49) RETIRES HURT: It's a big blow to the West Indies and Bravo as he's forced to retire hurt with what must be a pretty serious hamstring injury. They'll be hoping that he is not ruled out for the rest of the tournament. Lendl Simmons, who scored a century against Ireland, comes out to join Ramdin in the middle. The Windies pick up just three from the first over of the powerplay.

Simmons is now feeling his hamstring out there following a quick run in the previous over, but he doesn't call on the physio for treatment. Irfan returns to the attack with a good ball to beat the outside edge. There's a warning for Irfan when he runs onto the middle of the pitch in his follow-through. He received a warning in the first game, too. Ramdin then watches another ball zip past his outside edge. It's just a single from a very good over.

Ramdin has looked in very good touch out in the middle, and the pressure is on him to deliver a big score from this position. He currently has 35 from 27 balls as Riaz delivers another excellent over in the powerplay. Just one added to the total.

The impressive Sohail is back into the attack for his sixth over of the innings. Ramdin is forced to block the first two balls, but a shorter delivery allows the wicketkeeper-batsman to sit back and pull four runs to the fine-leg boundary. Another pull shot follows as he picks out the fielder in the deep to collect a single. Simmons gets off the mark with an open-faced shot down to third-man. Better from the Windies.

Irfan replaces Riaz for the final over of the batting powerplay. It's a decent over from the left-arm seamer, but the singles are easy to find for the batting side. Four off the over. Ramdin 42* Simmons 3

A quick update on Jamshed, who still hasn't returned after damaging his finger dropping Smith earlier on. He will not be able to open the batting for Pakistan due to the length of time he has been off the field.


Six! Afridi returns to the attack, but Simmons fancies his chances against the veteran as he slog-sweeps over mid-wicket for six runs. The West Indies have plenty of wickets in hand, and it could be time to accelerate. Nine off Afridi's comeback over.

Simmons misses with the cut shot, but Akmal's inability to collect the ball behind the stumps hands the batting side two byes. A single to deep square-leg is followed by a run through cover. These two are both pretty quick, and Pakistan are unable to build pressure as Haris concedes five on his return.

Shot! Simmons is displaying his good form now as he rocks onto the back foot to cut Afridi away for four runs, before hurrying a single to short third-man. Ramdin clips a full-toss off his pads to rotate the strike again.

50! Ramdin misses with a huge slog across the line before bringing up his half-century from 41 balls by cutting past backward point for four runs. It's been a very good knock so far. He's not really taken many risks, in truth.

WICKET! RAMDIN (51) C SHAH B HARIS: Just as I praised Ramdin for his sensible innings, he sends an awful shot straight up into the air to watch substitute fielder Shah take his second catch at long-off. Haris makes the breakthrough again. Darren Sammy is out in the middle, but it's Simmons who finishes the over with a single.

Simmons is starting to look very good at the crease as he plays the latest of cuts to earn four through third-man. The Windies are all set for a late assault on the Pakistan bowling attack. Afridi concedes six off his 10th and final over.

A leg-bye hands the strike to Simmons, and he decides it's time to go. The slog-sweep brings six runs over mid-wicket and he follows that by skipping down the pitch to loft four more wide of mid-on. Haris is left frustrated when Simmons drops to one knee to sweep through square-leg for another boundary. Excellent batting from a man in form.

Another update on the Jamshed situation. The third umpire has confirmed that he can open the batting as he was injured while fielding. However, it remains unclear whether he will be ready to bat.


Simmons breathes a sigh of relief as Maqsood fails to pick the ball up cleanly, which allows him to get back after being left stranded halfway down the pitch. The returning Sohail appeals for caught behind when Sammy attacks a wider one, but there was no edge involved. There's a painful moment for Shehzad later in the over when he is struck in a horrible area. Men, you know the area I mean. Thankfully, he manages to get back to his feet. Just two from Sohail's over.

Simmons steps away to hammer a single to the fielder at deep cover, and he gets some luck later in the over when a miscued cut drops short of Misbah at mid-off. The returning Irfan does an excellent job to limit the freedom on offer. Three added to the total. Simmons 42* Sammy 3

Sohail starts the over with a clever slower yorker, but he gets the next one wrong as Sammy is forced to take evasive reaction to avoid a beamer. A charge down the pitch from the same batsman ends with a top edge sailing over Akmal's head. The Windies manage to do must better in the over as Simmons and Sammy scramble for 10 runs. Five overs left in the innings.

Drop! Riaz returns with an awful delivery as the ball races to the fine-leg boundary for wides, and the bowler's mood is not improved when Irfan drops the catch in the deep after Simmons had top edged the ball to third-man. Pakistan haven't taken enough chances today, and it could cost them. Sammy is looking to sit deep in his crease and he pulls away a shorter one for two. Riaz loses his line again to deliver another wide. Shot! Sammy comes to life at this stage of the innings, and he finds the gap to launch four runs into the leg-side. A single means he'll keep the strike. Simmons 45 Sammy 17*

Sohail is too wide to Sammy, who beats the fielder at deep point with a superb cut shot. A heave into the leg-side brings two more, and Sammy helps himself to a six off a full-toss when the bowler gets the slower ball very, very wrong. Sohail responds with a couple of sharp bouncers, and Sammy finishes the over with a single to deep mid-wicket.

WICKET! SAMMY (30) C AFRIDI B RIAZ: Riaz follows a wide by removing Sammy, who can only slice the ball to a waiting Afridi at point. Pakistan will be very happy to see the back of him.

Andre Russell is the new batsman, and he looks uncomfortable when Riaz strikes him on the thigh, but the ball races away for four leg-byes. He quickly settles down to send a powerful drive down the ground for four, before slicing a single into the off-side. 13 scored in the over. 12 balls remaining.

Six! Russell piles the pressure on Sohail at the start of the over as he swivels on the crease to launch the ball over the square-leg boundary. A single hands the strike to Simmons, who lofts another run down the ground. Six! Russell could take his side to 300. He picks the slower ball to send the ball over mid-wicket for six more. What next? Another maximum, of course. Russell latches onto a fuller delivery to hit the dressing room with a huge shot. A loft into the off-side for two makes it 22 from the over.

Russell reaches his 50 with a single down to fine-leg. It's come from 46 balls, and he's played a key role for his side in this innings. Russell then takes centre stage again by following a four with a six down the ground to take the West Indies past 300. Incredible. Russell backs away and is falling over as he gets a top edge on the ball to pick up four more. Riaz is not impressed. A desperate sprint to pick up a third run off the final ball ends in disappointment as Simmons is run out for 50.

PAKISTAN NEED 311 TO WIN: Simmons and Ramdin both recorded half-centuries, while Bravo played well before retiring hurt on 49. However, it could be Russell's 42 not out from just 13 balls which makes the difference today. We'll join the players in taking a quick break, but make sure you're back in around 25 minutes for the chase.

Welcome back everyone. If you missed any of the first innings, check out some of the statistics below. The West Indies manages to score 115 runs in the final 10 overs to pile the pressure on Pakistan. It's the men from the Caribbean who are the favourites at the moment.

Fall of wickets: 17-1 (Gayle 4), 28-2 (Smith 23), 103-3 (Samuels 38), 152-3 (Bravo retired hurt 49 not out), 194-4 (Ramdin 51), 259-5 (Sammy 30), 310-6 (Simmons 50)

Bowling figures: Irfan 10-0-44-1, Sohail Khan 10-1-73-1, Afridi 10-0-48-0, Haris Sohail 9-0-62-2, Riaz 10-0-67-1, Sohaib 1-0-8-0



You'll remember that the West Indies failed to defend a 300+ score against Ireland in their first match, so they'll know there is a long way to go in this match. Early wickets could be key in the chase. Coach Curtley Ambrose has just given the team one final pep talk on the outfield.

Here we go then. Pakistan need 311 runs to win. Jamshed has shaken off that finger problem to open the batting alongside Shehzad. Jerome Taylor will bowl the first over.

WICKET! JAMSHED (0) C RUSSELL B TAYLOR

What a start for the West Indies! It's an awful shot from Jamshed as he pulls the ball straight into the air to give Russell the chance to take a simple catch inside the circle on the leg-side. Poor from the opener.

Younis Khan is the new batsman, but it's Shehzad who is on strike. Taylor hangs a couple outside off-stump in an attempt to encourage a false shot. Shehzad gets off the mark with a thick outside edge to third-man for a single.

WICKET! YOUNIS (0) C RAMDIN B TAYLOR

It's a miserable start for Pakistan, but the West Indies are delighted. Taylor takes his second wicket with the last ball of the opening over, and it's a beauty. Younis can only edge his first delivery, which is full and moves away late. Ramdin does the rest.

Captain Jason Holder comes into the attack in a great position thanks to Taylor's heroics. It's not been an easy few months for the West Indies, but they can produce a brilliant display out of the blue, and their bowlers have the licence to attack now. Holder beats Shehzad's outside edge with just a hint of movement. It's a maiden from the skipper.

There is so much pressure on Haris and Shehzad now. These two need to build a partnership to keep Pakistan in this game. The left-handed Haris looks solid in defence as Taylor charges with some accurate bowling.

WICKET! HARIS (0) C CARTER B TAYLOR: It just gets worse for Pakistan as Haris slices a loose drive to substitute fielder Jonathan Carter, who just manages to hold on at point to give Taylor another wicket.

WICKET! SHEHZAD (1) C SIMMONS B HOLDER: Incredible stuff in Christchurch. It's another loose shot as Shehzad edges one to Simmons, who takes a fine catch at fourth slip. One run, four wickets!

Pakistan will just be looking to avoid an embarrassing result from here. Maqsood and Misbah are the men in the middle now, and they're happy to keep out Holder for now. Wicket maiden.

(TARGET 311) Taylor is finding just enough movement, and Misbah is far from convincing as he keeps out the out-swinger. There's cheers from the Pakistan supporters when the skipper nudges a run off the thigh. Taylor sends down a couple of shorter balls, but the second one is called a wide by the umpire.

Holder has been excellent with his length and line early on, but his attempted in-swinger slides down the leg-side for a wide. Pakistan score their first boundary when Misbah latches onto some width to cut past point for four runs. Holder responds with a beauty of a fuller ball to beat the outside edge.

Maqsood opens the face of the bat to get off the mark with a single down to third-man. Taylor straightens up to keep Misbah's focus on defence, and it's another superb over from the seamer. Misbah 5 Maqsood 1*

Holder strays onto the pads early in the over and Maqsood clips the ball away for one, before Misbah plays a similar shot to rotate the strike again. There's just two fielders on the leg-side. The plan is clear. Holder beats the outside edge again as Maqsood attempts a loose drive. Pakistan pick up three from the over.

Maqsood gets a glove on a shorter ball to collect two, before staying on the back foot to punch a single into the covers. Wow. Taylor produces a stunning delivery to take the ball past Misbah's inside edge, and the Pakistani captain can only smile at that one. Misbah picks up a run to third-man, before Maqsood adds another to keep the strike.

(TARGET 311) Misbah must be wanting to scream at the non-striker's end as Maqsood swings wildly at one outside off-stump. Another risky shot follows as the ball flies past Samuels at point to bring four runs. Shot! It doesn't get much better than this. Maqsood's balance is perfect as he leans forward to drive through extra cover for four more. Misbah 7* Maqsood 15

WICKET! MISBAH (7) C GAYLE B RUSSELL: Russell strikes in his first over! The all-rounder catches a cutting Misbah's outside edge and Gayle dives to his left to take a fine catch at slip. Pakistan's captain departs and they are on course for an embarrassing defeat at the moment.

Russell is enjoying this. After starring with the bat, he's making an impact with the ball, and he finds some late movement back into Ukmal, who leaves well outside off-stump.

Pakistan are refusing to learn their lesson as Akmal comes agonisingly close to getting an edge on the ball with a hopeful swing of the bat outside off-stump. Drop! Maqsood gets an edge on one from Holder, but Sammy can't hang on at second slip, and neither Gayle or Ramdin can react to take the second chance.

Six! Akmal gets off the mark with a six, but he only just manages to clear Benn, who couldn't get his feet sorted at fine-leg as he stretched to get a hand on the ball. He picks up another single off the Russell over.

Holder's opening spell is now into a seventh over. I suppose that's how it works when you're the captain. Akmal follows a couple on the leg-side by driving four runs through the covers. Holder takes a slip out, which is a surprise with Pakistan in so much trouble. Six off the over.

(TARGET 311) Russell looks for the yorker at the start of the over, but he drifts down the leg-side to deliver a wide. Maqsood and Akmal are happy to take the singles. These two need to focus on finding form. It's still a good batting track out there, so there's no need for silly cricket. Akmal makes it 10 from the over with a powerful drive straight down the ground. Maqsood 20* Akmal 18

Six! Sammy is into the attack after the drinks break, and he's greeted with disdain by Maqsood, who latches onto a short ball to launch the ball over the boundary on the leg-side. A perfect extra cover drive for four follows. This is much better from Pakistan. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done.

Pakistan are beginning to look comfortable against the seamers, so Holder might turn to Benn soon for a different threat. Russell keeps it tight in his over, though, with just two runs scored. Maqsood 32 Akmal 19*

Drop! Akmal gets a life as he rocks back to hammer the ball straight at Gayle, who can't hold on at short mid-wicket. The ball travelled very quickly, but Gayle will be disappointed. Akmal the piles on the misery by edging past Ramdin for four runs. Holder really should have a slip in place. Seven off the over.

Benn is into the attack for the first time. Akmal cuts the spinner's first ball straight to point, but Carter's misfield allows him to sneak a single. Maqsood gets onto the front foot to push two runs into the covers, before repeating the trick later in the over. That's the 50 partnership between these two. Maqsood 36 Akmal 27*

(TARGET 311) Ramdin is up to the stumps for Sammy's third over, but the Akmal and Maqsood are looking pretty confident in the middle now. A couple of singles are on offer, and Pakistan continue to make steady progress before adding three more when Akmal beats Taylor at short fine-leg.

Both men are looking to use their feet against Benn's spin, and there is good running on show throughout the over as Pakistan continue to bat positively, despite the situation they find themselves in. Benn hasn't threatened yet. Five off the over. Holder will want the Windies to put the pressure back on. Will he bring back Taylor?

Much better from Sammy. The all-rounder settles on a very good line and length, and it restricts Pakistan to just a couple of runs. Pakistan still need 224 runs from 28 overs.

Great work from substitute fielder Carter at short third-man to stop a cut from Akmal. Benn has bowled slightly too wide in his spell, and he oversteps midway through the over to gift Akmal a free hit. A predictable slog follows, but the ball drops into space at deep mid-wicket to bring the batsman two runs. Pakistan add five more to the total.

Sammy catches the outside edge at the start of the over, but Akmal is safe as the ball races through third-man for a single. Maqsood picks the gap at cover to rotate the strike again, before Akmal pushes a run to point. Good bowling from Sammy.

I'm sure Holder will want this to be an emphatic win, but he isn't rushing things at the moment, and with the required run-rate climbing there's no pressure on the Windies. Benn produces a beauty to beat Maqsood's edge. Ramdin whips the bails off, but a quick replay proves Maqsood did get back after dragging his back foot out of the crease. A cut to deep point brings three as Smith does well in the deep to prevent a boundary. Akmal adds another down the ground, and Maqsood then reaches his 50 by skipping down the track to loft four over mid-wicket. Lovely batting. Maqsood 50 Akmal 41*

WICKET! MAQSOOD (50) C BENN B SAMMY: The Windies make the breakthrough. Maqsood completely miscues the low full-toss, and Benn reacts brilliantly to sprint to his left from mid-off to take the catch on the dive. A very good knock comes to an end.

Afridi comes in at number eight for Pakistan and he's happy to keep out the rest of an excellent over from Sammy.

Good move from Holder as he brings back Taylor, who took 3-9 in his first spell. It's a great start as takes one past Akmal's outside edge. Akmal and Afridi then exchange singles as the latter gets off the mark. It's five from the over when Akmal finds the gap at mid-wicket to edge closer to his half-century.

50! Akmal reaches his half-century from 57 balls as he latches onto a wider one from Sammy to cut four past point. It's been a very good performance after coming to the crease with the score 1-4. A single hands the strike to Afridi, who pulls to deep square-leg for one. Akmal 51 Afridi 2*

Afridi takes the single on offer at the start of the over. He's happy to allow his younger teammate take centre stage at the moment. Taylor delivers a bouncer which is called a wide by the umpires, but it's a pretty decent over from the seamer. Akmal looks determined to turn his half-century in to a big score.

(TARGET 311) Poor from Sammy. Ramdin is up to the stumps and fine-leg is inside the circle, which means it easy for Afridi to pick up four with a flick off the pads. He adjusts his line well, but Afridi collects four more with a thick outside edge. Shot! It gets better from Afridi as he drops to one knee to sweep finely to the rope. Excellent batting.

Pakistan decide to take the batting powerplay, which makes sense with these two at the crease. Benn returns to the attack for the Windies. Akmal gives himself room to drive a couple of runs to deep extra cover, before nudging a single to long-on later in the over. Afridi is in big trouble when he calls for a single only to be left stranded. The throw from Russell is poor, and 'Boom Boom' gets back.

Akmal opens the face to earn a single at the start of a new spell from Russell. Afridi adds another with a nudge into the leg-side, before Akmal lofts four over mid-wicket with a powerful stroke. These two are refusing to give up on this match, despite the size of the task ahead of them.

WICKET! AKMAL (59) C SMITH B RUSSELL: The Windies respond to the boundary by putting another man out on the leg-side, and Akmal falls into the trap as he hits a shorter ball straight to Smith. A superb innings comes to an end, and the West Indies move closer to what looks to be an inevitable win.

Afridi picks up a quick single to hand the strike to Riaz, who has replaced Akmal in the middle, and he pushes a full ball into the off-side to get off the mark.

Riaz is called for a risky single at the start of Benn's over, but Afridi responds well to get home. Afridi splits two fielders on the off-side with a cut to collect a couple of runs, before missing out with an attempted slog-sweep. It looks like he's ready to play some shots. A full-toss allows him to free the arms, and he picks up two more.

Riaz looks far from comfortable against Russell, who sends down a couple of short balls early in the over. A leg-bye allows Pakistan's number nine to get off strike, and Afridi produces a stunning shot to guide the ball over Ramdin's head for four. A heave into the leg-side falls just short of Benn in the deep, and Afridi will keep the strike

Afridi is forced to settle for a single early in Benn's over when he picks out Taylor at long-off. There's almost a run out when Riaz pushes the ball into the off-side, but he gets back quickly. Riaz will keep the strike thanks to a single off the final ball.

WICKET! RIAZ (3) C RAMDIN B RUSSELL: Russell hits the inside edge and the pad with a good ball, and Ramdin dives forward to take the catch. No one is quite sure at first, but a quick look at the replay convinces the third umpire to send Riaz packing.

Sohail comes out to the crease to keep out his first three balls. Russell now has 3-33 from seven overs to go with his 42 from 13 balls earlier in the day. It's been a very good display from the all-rounder.

WICKET! AFRIDI (28) C HOLDER B BENN: A low full-toss is enough to remove Afridi, who is left looking at the toe of his bat after picking out Holder at mid-wicket. The Windies are just a wicket away now.

Irfan comes to the crease and picks up a single off the final ball of Benn's over to keep the match going.

Strange scenes out in the middle with Ramdin and Sammy convinced that Russell has caught Irfan's edge. The bowler wasn't interested, and he's proved right when a review shows Irafn didn't get a touch on the ball. Pakistan's number 11 isn't sure how to play Russell. Maiden.

Sohail drives Benn to deep extra cover for a single, before Irfan adds another run with a heave into the leg-side.

WEST INDIES WIN BY 150 RUNS: It's all over in Christchurch. Sohail smacks Benn straight into the air, and Ramdin takes an easy catch to secure an emphatic victory. In truth, Pakistan were never going to come back from being 1-4 early in the run chase. It's two losses in a row for Misbah's side.

Taylor and Russell both finish with three wickets, while Benn claimed two victims with his spin. Russell stole the show early in the day with 43 from just 13 balls, but Taylor deserves credit for that excellent start with the ball.

That's all from me today. I hope you've enjoyed the coverage on what has been a very entertaining day in Pool B. Goodbye.

ID:206652: cacheID:206652:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:64517:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Lendl Simmons of the West Indies bats during the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup match between the West Indies and Ireland at Saxton Field on February 16, 2015
Read Next:
Simmons century spares WI blushes
>