| Scorecard: | Pakistan v West Indies |
| Player: | RR Sarwan, Khurram Manzoor, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan |
| Event: | West Indies in United Arab Emirates 2008/09 |
DateLine: 13th November 2008
Pakistan pulled off a thrilling last-over win over West Indies in the first game of the three match ODI series at Abu Dhabi yesterday. Batting first after winning the toss, the West Indies looked to be set to get to much more than 300 at one stage thanks to some belligerent batting display by skipper Chris Gayle, but were restricted to 294/9 in their allotted fifty overs.
Gayle scored a masterful 113 off only 106 deliveries with 11 fours and five 6s. Ramnaresh Sarwan was the other half century scorer with a 61-ball 55.
In reply, Pakistan had a good first couple of wicket partnerships as both Khurram Manzoor and Younis Khan got to fifties in contrasting styles. Manzoor was more circumspect than Khan, whose aggressive running between the wickets got him to 56 runs off 62 deliveries.
However, the Pakistani inning was given a major boost-up by skipper Shoaib Malik’s 50-ball 66, an inning that got Pakistan close to the target. Yet, when the last over began, Pakistan was 17 runs adrift of the target and it looked all over for them. Kamran Akmal had other ideas though, and smashed a couple of sixes off Jerome Taylor to seal the win for the ‘hosts’.
Pakistan won the match by four wickets and one ball to spare. Gayle may have ended up on the losing side, but his century combined with six overs of tight bowling won him the player-of-the-match award.
The second match would be played at the same venue on the 14th of November.