DUBAI: Pakistan overcame a late onslaught from West Indies to wrap up the Twenty20 International series with a 16-run win in the second game at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday night.
Having already won the opening fixture in the three-match rubber at the same venue by nine wickets on Friday, Pakistan took an unbeatable 2-0 lead by restricting West Indies to 144-9 in pursuit of a 160-run target.
The Sarfraz Ahmed-led side was heading for another clinical victory after West Indies slumped to 89-7 at the end of the 16th over. But tail-ender Sunil Narine engineered a belated charge as the final four overs yielded 55 runs against wayward bowling from pacemen Hasan Ali and Wahab Riaz. The left-handed Narine blasted four boundaries and a six while making 30 from just 17 deliveries to top-score for the World T20 champions.
Seamer Sohail Tanvir was the pick of bowlers with three wickets for 13 runs in four overs, while Hasan took 3-49 from his four overs. Imad Wasim, who tormented West Indies on Friday with magnificent return of 5-14, claimed one for 18 with fellow spinner Mohammad Nawaz taking 1-19.
Sarfraz was declared man-of-the-match for his undefeated innings of 46 from 32 balls.
The final match will be played in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday night.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN:
Sharjeel Khan b Badree 2
Khalid Latif run out 40
Babar Azam c Pollard b Brathwaite 19
Shoaib Malik c Pollard b Bravo 37
Sarfraz Ahmed not out 46
Umar Akmal not out 1
EXTRAS (LB-10, W-5) 15
TOTAL (for four wkts, 20 overs) 160
FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-58, 3-85, 4-154.
DID NOT BAT: Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Sohail Tanvir, Hasan Ali, Wahab.
BOWLING: Badree 4-0-24-1 (1w); Taylor 4-0-28-0 (2w); Narine 4-0-36-0 (1w); Bravo 4-0-38-1 (1w); Brathwaite 4-0-24-1.
WEST INDIES:
J. Charles c Akmal b Imad 10
E. Lewis c Sharjeel b Sohail 3
A.D.S. Fletcher b Hasan 29
M.N. Samuels c Sarfraz b Sohail 1
D.J. Bravo b Nawaz 18
K.A. Pollard c Sarfraz b Hasan 18
C.R. Brathwaite c Akmal b Hasan 8
N. Pooran c Nawaz b Sohail 4
S.P. Narine c Akmal b Wahab 30
J.E. Taylor not out 10
EXTRAS (W-7, NB-6) 13
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 20 overs) 144
FALL OF WKTS: 1-12, 2-15, 3-19, 4-45, 5-82, 6-83, 7-89, 8-118, 9-144.
DID NOT BAT: S. Badree.
BOWLING: Imad Wasim 4-0-18-1; Sohail Tanvir 4-0-13-3 (1w); Mohammad Nawaz 3-0-19-1; Shoaib Malik 1-0-3-0; Hasan Ali 4-0-49-3 (2w); Wahab Riaz 4-0-42-1 (2nb, 4w).
RESULT: Pakistan won by 16 runs to lead three-match 2-0.
UMPIRES: Ahmed Shahab (Pakistan) and Shozab Raza (Pakistan).
TV UMPIRE: Ahsan Raza (Pakistan).
MATCH REFEREE: A.J. Pycroft (Zimbabwe).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Sarfraz Ahmed.
Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2016
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