WINDIES DEFEATS PAKISTAN

WINDIES DEFEATS PAKISTAN
Associated Press / Ricardo Mazalan, File

West Indies leveled the three-match Test series with a decisive win over Pakistan in the second match at Kensington Oval in Barbados last week. The final will be decided in Dominica this week

Pakistan won the first match in Jamaica recently.

West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel wrecked the Pakistan second innings taking 5 for 11 and match haul of 9 for 92.

He was named Man-of-the- Match.

Gabriel bowled Pakistan to an emphatic victory after West Indies set the visitors 108 for victory on the final day. Pakistan crashed to 81 all out, about half an hour before play ended.

It was Pakistan’s fourth loss in seven games at the historic venue and maintains their unenviable record of having never won a Test at the Kensington Oval.

The total equaled Pakistan’s lowest posed by India 20 years ago at the same venue and was also Pakistan’s second lowest-ever against West Indies, surpassing their record low of 77 in Lahore, 31 years ago.

Meanwhile, West Indies hope for automatic qualification in the race for the 2019 World Cup in England took a setback when they dropped another point in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings released recently.

The regional side, currently lying outside of the automatic places at ninth rankings, lost the final One-Day International to Pakistan to suffer a 2-1 defeat last month.

As a result, West Indies dropped to 83 points while Pakistan gained one point while remaining in eight place in the rankings.

Hosts England and the other seven teams as of September 30, 2016 will qualify automatically for the quadrennial tournament, with the remaining three teams heading to qualify to determine the last two spots.

Windies looked on course to enhance their rankings when they staged a record run chase to beat Pakistan by four wickets in the opening ODI recently at the Guyana National Stadium.

However, they plunged to a 74-run defeat in the second game before also suffering a six-wicket defeat in the three-match series.

West Indies have lost six straight ODI series but should find reprieve than they take on minnows Afghanistan- ranked 10th- in a three-match series in St. Lucia this month.