In a nutshell It's becoming a bit of a jinx, this match-up. Whatever the situation, however favourable the circumstances, West Indies just cannot seem to get over the line against Pakistan. It was no different today as a thrilling final over from Hasan Ali that swung one way and then the other saw Pakistan cling on to a three-run win at the Queen's Park Oval. It was a game they had no business laying claim to for much of a contest that was worlds removed from the cakewalk the visitors enjoyed in Barbados.
West Indies' chase of 133 began with a somewhat clumsy run-out after a collision between Evin Lewis and Shadab Khan, but Marlon Samuels looked in no mood to hang around as he took the attack to Pakistan's bowlers. Imad Wasim came in for particularly severe treatment as one over went for 19. Only a magical spell from legspinner Shadab Khan dragged Pakistan back into the game, crucially dismissing Samuels with the last ball. From thereon, it was always going to be close, and even though two boundaries in the final over looked to have put the West Indies on course, Hasan held his nerve to maintain Pakistan's grip over their hosts.
Ravi Bopara patted the ball down towards point and set off for what he probably thought was a routine single. He knows the PSL as well as anybody. Last year he was Man of the Tournament, and as a bonus, he was initiated into off-field Pakistan, having to take over as captain of an unhappy Karachi side after Shoaib Malik abruptly resigned. He has played enough Pakistan sides too, so that, at the time of playing this shot, he would have been pretty assured in his estimation of what was likely to happen.
He must have thought - reasonably so, let's be honest - that the fielder at point, Pakistani, would run in to the ball at the wrong angle. And that he would be slower than a point fielder he might come across in other leagues (in the Big Bash, Bopara might not have attempted the single at all). Or that he would fumble the pick-up. And if he did do all that right, there was no way he'd hit the stumps. No way. And if he did, then the throw would not be bullet enough to beat him, a first-world batsman, fitter and quicker than most Pakistani batsmen the fielder would have thrown against. The best the fielder could hope for was that he might end up looking good, just with zilch outcome.
Except that this fielder did everything right. Attacked the ball. Did so from the right angle. Kept his eye on the ball as he picked it up. Was moving as he did. Left arm came out to steady and take quick aim. Let go like a baseball pitcher. The throw was Ravi Shastri - tracer bullet - bouncing once before hitting the top of the stumps. This was slick, seriously dance-move slick. Bopara was a good foot short. How was he to know?
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Raymon Reifer was the main architect of leaders and defending champions Guyana Jaguars escaping with a draw against Barbados Pride in the Regional 4-Day Tournament on Monday.
Reifer, the Barbados-born, left-handed all-rounder, led tail-end resistance with an unbeaten 35 following Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s second half-century of the match, as the Jaguars, were bowled out for 322 in their second innings just over an hour after tea on the final day of the eighth round match at Kensington Oval.
He then returned to grab 4-49 from six overs to leave the Pride’s victory chase in shambles, as the home team stumbled to 75 for five, leaving them 18 short of the target.
The result meant that the Pride earned 11.8 points, moving to 99.2 for the season, but remain 7.6 behind the Jaguars, whose tally for the match was a meagre 3.6.
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – A maiden first-class hundred from West Indies Under-19 World Cup hero Kacey Carty failed to stop Windward Islands Volcanoes from a seven-wicket victory over Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the Regional 4-Day Tournament on Monday. The 20-year-old St. Maarten-born Carty struck 103 to add substance to a Hurricanes second innings total of 351 before the Volcanoes successfully chased 52 for victory on the final day of the eighth round match at Warner Park. The result meant the Volcanoes earned 20.8 points and completed the season double over the Hurricanes, whose season aggregate increased by a mere 3.4 points. Carty was the Player-of-the-Match winner in the Final, when the Windies Under-19s lifted the ICC Youth World Cup last year in Bangladesh. He has struggled to make a huge leap from junior to senior cricket, but he collected nine fours and four sixes in his 178-ball knock spanning just under four hours to lead a show of defiance for the Hurricanes and suggest he may just now be coming to terms.
The Trinidad and Tobago Red Force crashed to their fifth loss of the season yesterday, leaving skipper Kyle Hope again lamenting the under-performance of his batsmen.Set 229 to beat the Jamaica Scorpions at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, the home team were dismissed for 141 to hand the visitors an 87-run victory.Left-arm spinner Nikita Miller seemed to have intimidated the Red Force batsmen who were unsure how to deal the top wicket-taker in the Regional four-day competition.Miller, with figures of 4-39 when the Red Force were dismissed for 174 in the first innings, grabbed his 26th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket yesterday, grabbing five for 45 yesterday as the hosts crashed to 141 all out.
BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC — Former West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford was leading a one-man assault against Leeward Islands Hurricanes, as he pushed his Windward Islands Volcanoes to the brink of victory in their eighth round contest here Sunday. The 34-year-old claimed six for 78 to send Hurricanes tumbling for 240 in their first innings after the hosts resumed the penultimate day on 135 for four at Warner Park. Forced to follow on by 300 runs, Hurricanes once again came under pressure from Shillingford as he picked up both wickets to leave them on 105 for two — still requiring a further 195 runs to avoid an innings defeat. Opener Montcin Hodge was leading the fightback for Hurricanes on an unbeaten 51 from 145 balls with six fours. He put on 46 for the first wicket with captain Kieran Powell who made 17 before shouldering arms to Shillingford and having his stumps shattered.
