Spinner Devendra Bishoo and recalled opener Lendl Simmons were the West Indies’ stars as they beat Pakistan in a one-off Twenty20 international.Bishoo took 4-17 and Simmons hit 65 as the hosts’ modest 150-7 proved good enough for a seven-run victory.It was an encouraging performance from an experimental West Indies side in St Lucia, Darren Sammy skippering the side for the first time on home soil.Pakistan’s Umar Akmal (41) did his bit with the bat but others disappointed.The sparse crowd and an outfield in dreadful condition were not the best signals ahead of the two one-day internationals, also at the Beausejour Stadium, on Saturday and Monday.But despite producing an uneven display with the bat, West Indies defended their score so well – with some excellent catching and ground fielding – that the game looked all over as a contest with two overs to go.
However, a couple of boundaries from Saeed Ajmal off Ravi Rampaul, and a nervous wide from Andre Russell at the start of the final over, left 13 needed from the last six balls.Russell, one of five West Indians playing a Twenty20 international for the first time, relocated his radar and duly closed out the match with some accurate deliveries.West Indies had won the toss and set themselves up nicely through Simmons and Darren Bravo (42).Pakistan hauled themselves back into the contest with some acccurate bowling from Abdur Rehman (2-22) and Wahab Riaz (2-24), only to lose four wickets in the first seven overs of the chase.Akmal led a recovery but with Bishoo taking regular wickets at the other end and Sammy running out new Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Salman with a direct hit, West Indies remained favourites.Akmal was finally caught in the deep off Rampaul, a wicket which proved terminal for the tourists’ hopes despite a late Windies wobble. – BBC
