Hooper's Ton Salvages Pride for Windies
Captain Carl Hooper's century led West Indies to a consolation victory by 110 runs over Pakistan in the third and final one-day international in Sharjah.
Hooper arrived at the crease with his side in desperate early
trouble at 61 for four in the 14th over, but his 112 took them to a
challenging 260 for five.
And, after Pakistan stumbled similarly, part-time off-spinner
Chris Gayle took four wickets in 26 deliveries to bowl them out for
150.
Timing the ball brilliantly Hooper's innings occupied just 127
balls, with eight fours and four sixes.
He and Shivnarine Chanderpaul added 154 for the fifth wicket in 31
overs, Chanderpaul reaching 68 before edging Abdur Razzaq to the
wicket-keeper.
Ridley Jacobs was 13 not out at the end, having fed the strike to
his captain well in a stand worth 45 in the final five overs.
Pakistan had begun making inroads in the third ball of the innings,
when Daren Ganga was caught behind off Waqar Younis.
And Gayle perished in cavalier fashion, caught by Younis Khan slip
after cracking four boundaries in a 17-ball innings worth 19.
Just 10 runs were added before newcomer Runako Morton was trapped
lbw by Waqar for three.
And Wavel Hinds managed 22 before being beaten by the pace of
Mohammed Sami, edging for Younis Khan's second catch.
Pakistan's first three wickets fell in the first four overs, Shahid
Afridi caught by Morton off Pedro Collins for five, and Naved Latif
three balls later, lbw to Merv Dillon.
Younis Khan's dismissal, edging to Hooper at slip, saw Pakistan
plunge to 18 for three. Shoaib Malik and Yousuf Youhana looked like
affecting a revival, but Youhana offered a return catch to Dillon
for 20.
Abdur Razzaq was run out, despite having stuck around for 40 balls
in making 10, and the West Indies' spinners finished the job as
shots became increasingly rash.
Hooper bowled Shoaib Malik for 37 and Gayle recording figures of
four for 19, clean-bowling Rashid Latif for 37 to bring an end nine
overs early.
* SOURCE: BBC Sports Online.