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Pakistan win first final

Showing their penchant for defending modest totals, Pakistan kept their cool and completed a 17-run triumph over West Indies at Kensington Oval in the first of three finals in the 2000 Trophy limited-overs series on Wednesday.

Pakistan's total of 197 for eight off 50 overs looked modest for a West Indies outfit that has played with passion, purpose and perseverance over the last month.

Containing opening spells from new-ball bowlers Wasim Akram, later named Man-of-the-Match, and Waqar Younis however set West Indies back early in their innings, a position from which they could not wriggle free and were dismissed for 180 in 49.3 overs.

It was Pakistan's first win in three matches against West Indies on their fifth tour of the Caribbean and gives them a 1-0 lead in the finals which conclude in Port-of-Spain on Saturday and Sunday. After opening batsman Sherwin Campbell was caught behind off Waqar in the eight over, there was a stand of 86 between Philo Wallace and Wavel Hinds that carried the total from 13 for one.

The timing of the two batsmen however, was badly askew and they wasted precious overs and the pressure mounted on West Indies to score heavily in the second half of the innings, which they were unable to accomplish because they kept losing wickets.

Wallace, whose 47 off 91 balls was the top score, struggled through the first half of his innings. A dashing batsman, he must be given credit for not throwing his hand away during that period when he was totally bamboozled by leg-spin bowler Mushtaq Ahmed.

Hinds kept things ticking over at the other end until Wallace found his range and exploded with three of his seven fours to the square leg boundary off Arshad Khan in the 27th over and ten of 11 off Waqar in the 29th over.

Mushtaq however, claimed his wicket with the final ball of his ten overs after being struck for a six over square leg in his seventh over, when the Barbadian swung a delivery down the throat of deep square leg fielder Yousuf Youhana in the 32nd over.

His dismissal saw the West Indies innings go into sharp decline with wickets tumbling at regular intervals to hurt them every time it looked like they were trying to fight their way out of the mud. Earlier, West Indies had given themselves a chance with mean, purposeful cricket by restricting Pakistan to the lowest total for a side batting first in a limited-overs international at this venue.

Inzamam-ul-Haq led the way with 66 off 86 balls and former captain Wasim Akram hit 42 off 36 balls in the dying overs to give Pakistan a lift after they chose to bat on a hard, true pitch under sunny skies.

In another disciplined bowling performance from West Indies, they tied down Pakistan's batsmen in the mid-section of the innings and forced them into playing some reckless strokes that brought the decline.

Once more, Pakistan suffered from a bad start losing opening batsmen Shahid Afridi, caught behind off Curtly Ambrose for 17, and Imran Nazir, caught at mid-off off Reon King for 12, inside the first ten overs to be 32 for two.

A stand of 49 between Inzamam, who reached 7,000 runs in limited-overs internationals with his third run, and Younis Khan helped Pakistan recover from the early setbacks, but the batsmen grew restless and West Indies broke through in the 28th over.

Younis was run out by Jimmy Adams' throw from cover to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs for 23 off 60 balls, and it precipatated a period during which five wickets tumbled for 53 in 12.3 overs.

Wasim and Mushtaq batted out the last 7.5 overs to add a valuable 53 runs and boost Pakistan's total which was lower than India's 199 batting first against West Indies three years ago.