da casino： Mohammed Wasim completed a patient century to pilot Pakistan to astrong position against West Indies ‘A’ on a rain-affected second dayat Kensington Oval yesterday
Philip Hackett14-May-2000Mohammed Wasim completed a patient century to pilot Pakistan to astrong position against West Indies ‘A’ on a rain-affected second dayat Kensington Oval yesterday.Pakistan were dismissed shortly before 6 p.m. for 346 in reply to the’A’ team’s 160 all out on the opening day.Facing a deficit of 186, West Indies ‘A’ will have to bat most of thetwo remaining days to try to avoid defeat.Only 62 overs were bowled on a day when two-and-a-quarter hours werelost because of rain.Rain delayed the start of play until 10:50 a.m. and in the 17 overspossible Pakistan added 55 runs to be 209 for three, with Wasimunbeaten on 98.Younis Khan fell on the stroke of the interval, caught by SylvesterJoseph in the covers off Marlon Samuels for 26.When 108 and the score 271 for four, Wasim pulled a short deliveryfrom left-arm pacer Pedro Collins straight to Mahendra Nagamootoo atsquare-leg and could hardly hide his disappointment when Nagamootoodropped the very easy catch.Wasim eventually fell for 111, made in 325 minutes off 210 deliveries,and hit 12 fours.Saqlain played with some enterprise for 31, including three fours,before he was caught and bowled by Collins.Arshad Khan, who used the long handle to good effect in scoring 15,drove a ball from Dillon straight to Ramnaresh Sarwan at extra-coverand he too failed to hold on. Khan had not yet scored and Pakistanwere 282 for seven.He made good use of his fortune before losing bat and wicket toNagamootoo.Essaying a massive swing, Khan’s bat flew from his grasp into themid-wicket region, while the ball travelled to cover point where itwas caught by substitute fielder Ryan Hinds.Shortly before, the batsman had hammered Nagamootoo through extracover for four. In the previous over he also clobbered Corey Collymorethrough the same region for one of his three boundaries.The tall, well-built Pakistani never showed any desire to get in lineto the faster bowlers but the 26 run eighth-wicket stand with SaqlainMushtaq halted the progress of the ‘A’ team bowlers.The real counter-attack had come earlier, through the strokeplay ofthe powerful Shahid Afridi who clouted five fours and a six in racingto 38 off 42 balls in 43 entertaining minutes.He was particularly severe on off-spinner Marlon Samuels who, for themost part, bowled with a fair degree of control from the northern end.Afridi took 19 runs from Samuels in just two overs. In his 16th,Afridi hoisted Samuels over long-on into the bottom section of theHall and Griffith Stand for six, and then took three boundaries offhis next over.Dillon replaced Samuels and broke the 50-run fifth-wicket standbetween Afridi and Wasim in a spell in which he picked up threewickets, including Afridi and acting captain Waqar Younis offsuccessive deliveries.Wasim and Afridi both went to catches by keeper Courtney Browne whileYounis lost his off-stump first ball.Pakistan scored 112 runs for the loss of six wickets in 36 overs inthe final session. The last six wickets fell for 75 runs.Dillon finished with three for 52, Collins three for 84 and Samuelstwo for 65.