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Pakistan Survive Windies Scare

JOHANNESBURG — A cool, composed Umar Akmal guided Pakistan to a superb five-wicket victory over West Indies in their Champions Trophy match at the Wanderers here on Wednesday. Umar, the younger brother of wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal made an beaten 41 as Pakistan reached their target of 134 with 19.3 overs to spare.

Pakistan made heavy weather of chasing a mediocre target against an under-strength West Indies side. After losing five wickets cheaply, Pakistan was guided home by Umar Akmal and stand-in skipper Shahid Afridi with an beaten partnership for the sixth wicket.

Earlier, fast bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul shared six wickets as Pakistan beat West Indies by five wickets in their Champions Trophy Group A match at the Wanderers on Wednesday.

West Indies, fielding a weakened lineup in the tournament despite their leading players ending a boycott last month over contractual disputes, were dismissed for 133. Pakistan stuttered in their reply before an unbeaten stand of 58 from Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi guided them home with over 19 overs to spare.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the West Indies batsmen fell flat as 17-year-old Aamer and Gul reduced them to 47 for seven.

Aamer caught and bowled Dale Richards for a single at the end of the first over and then added the wickets of Travis Dowlin for a duck and David Bernard for six to finish with three for 24 in seven overs.

Gul produced a probing spell of three for 28 in eight overs as he claimed the wickets of Devon Smith (18), captain Floyd Reifer (7) and Chadwick Walton (0), the latter two with successive deliveries.

There was resistance from the West Indies lower-order, however, as Darren Sammy scored 25 and Nikita Miller made 51, his maiden one-day international half-century.

The Wanderers pitch, unlike the flat surface up the road in Centurion, always offered the pacemen some assistance and West Indian opening bowler Gavin Tonge made use of what was available to make Pakistan sweat in their run-chase.

He bowled Imran Nazir for five with his first delivery and then had Kamran Akmal (5), Shoaib Malik (23) and Mohammad Yousuf (23) all caught behind by wicketkeeper Walton. —