William West—AFP
Pakistan’s World Cup hopes continue to dwindle after rout at Christchurch.
A revitalized West Indies cashed in on a sensational Pakistan batting collapse to notch their first victory of the World Cup by 150 runs at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday.
The Caribbean cricketers scored 310-6, with 115 runs coming in a swashbuckling final 10 overs involving Lendl Simmons, Andre Russell and Darren Sammy. Pakistan in reply crumbled to their second straight defeat when they were all out for 160, failing to recover after the top four wickets fell in the first four overs for just one run, the worst start in one-day international history.
The West Indies, meanwhile, blocked out memories of their shock first up loss to Ireland as six batsmen posted scores of 30 or more.
Denesh Ramdin top scored with 51, Simmons added 50 to go with his first match century, Darren Bravo scored 49, Russell smashed 42 off 17 balls while Marlon Samuels and Sammy chimed in with 38 and 30 respectively.
Bravo was unfortunate not to reach what would have been his 17th ODI half-century when he was forced to retire hurt with a pulled hamstring. It was the second time he required medical treatment after being dazed earlier in the innings when a powerful throw from Younis Khan hit him on the side of the helmet as he scrambled through for a single.
Pakistan’s reply was in trouble when two wickets fell in their first over. At four down it was serious and at five for 25 in the 11th it was all but over. When the rout was complete, Jerome Taylor had figures of three for 15 and Russell three for 33. Taylor, Russell and captain Jason Holder had steamed in with an aggression that had been absent from the West Indies armory of late.
Back-to-back defeats to India and West Indies have left Pakistan at the bottom of Pool B while the West Indies chances of making the top four to qualify for they play-offs improved considerably. While the West Indies batting showed substance lacking in their recent matches, they were assisted by Pakistan having a miserable day in the field compounded by four dropped catches.
Dwayne Smith, on 12, was dropped by Nasir Jamshed off Mohammad Irfan although Irfan was immediately compensated with his next delivery which removed Chris Gayle for four. The West Indies icon with the “master-blaster” reputation has averaged a mere 14.42 over 19 innings in the 20 months since his last century.
Irfan was guilty of a dropped catch when he gave Simmons a life on 45 while Shahid Afridi spilled Bravo on 46 and Samuels on 29.
On a gloomy day for Pakistan, Jamshed played little part. He left the field after dropping Smith in the fifth over and took no further part in the West Indies innings although he was seen getting additional batting practice in the nets. But that was to no avail. He was gone without scoring when he lobbed the second ball from Taylor to Russell at short midwicket.
Taylor finished off the opening over with Younis Khan caught behind for a duck and in his next over dismissed Haris Sohail to have the impressive figures of two overs, three wickets and one run. Holder bagged his first wicket of the tournament when he had Ahmed Shehzad caught in the gully for one in his first over.