CRICKET
Pakistan beats West Indies in one-day match
Kamran Akmal hit two successive sixes in the final over as Pakistan scored a thrilling four-wicket win over the West Indies with just one ball to spare in the opening one day international of their three-match series.
Replying to the West Indies' total of 294-9, built around a spectacular century by captain Chris Gayle -the first-ever century at the Zayed Stadium - Pakistan reached its victory target with the penultimate ball of the match.
Pakistan needed 16 runs in their final over, but Akmal smashed two sixes in the first two balls of Jerome Taylors over to set up a shock win. Akmal remained unbeaten on 24 from just 9 balls.
Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik also played a big role, scoring 66 runs in 50 balls after his side got off to a slow start. Opener Khurram Manzoor top-scored with 69 in 89 balls.
Debutant pace bowler Lionel Baker was the pick of the West Indian bowling, picking up 3-41. The 24-year-old Leeward Islands bowler pitching the ball slightly short of a length and just outside the off stump, cramping most Pakistan batsmen.
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Earlier, Gayle made a whirlwind 113 with five sixes and 11 fours in just 106 balls as his side raced to 294-9. The previous highest score in Abu Dhabi was 92 by Indias Rahul Dravid against Pakistan.
After a slow start of 11 runs in the first five overs, the Jamaican went into overdrive, hitting Abdur Rauf, who was filling in for the injured Shoaib Akhtar, for 11 runs in his third over and 17 in his fourth, which included four hits to the fence.
Malik made his first change thereafter, bringing in Umar Gul, but Gayle dispatched him for two successive sixes to bring up his sides 50 in the 10th over.
Gayles 50 came in just 36 balls and 100 in 90. He added 125 runs for the first wicket with Sewnarine Chattergoon (33), who holed out to mid-on when Malik brought himself on as second change bowler in the 18th over with the third powerplay still on.
Gayle then added 73 runs for the second wicket with Ramnaresh Sarwan (55). He was finally caught when he mistimed a pull off Gul to Shahid Afridi at mid-wicket. Two balls before that, Gul had dropped an easy catch off his own bowling.
Pakistan did well to contain West Indies, who were 213-2 after 37 overs.Paceman Sohail Tanveer and Gul were the most successful bowlers. Tanveer , taking 3-66 in his 10 overs.
The remaining two matches in the series will be played on Friday and S
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