ABU DHABI, Nov 16: Star batsman Younis Khan scored a sparkling hundred to lift Pakistan to 273-6 in the third and final One-day International against the West Indies at Sheikh Zayed Stadium here on Sunday.

Pakistan are looking to make it a hat trick of victories in the series after winning the first two games.

Younis (101) scored the third century of the series and Misbah-ul-Haq was unbeaten on 79 as Pakistan reached 273-6 in their 50 overs.

Pakistan won the first two matches and is already assured of taking the series, winning by four wickets on Wednesday and by 24 runs on Friday.

Shoaib Malik won the toss and elected to bat, but Pakistan got off to a disastrous start when out-of-form opener Salman Butt edged the first legitimate delivery of the match from Daren Powell to Shawn Findlay at second slip. The first ball of the innings was a wide.

Khurram Manzoor was dropped twice, by Sewnarine Chattergoon before he opened his account, and by makeshift wicket-keeper Xavier Marshall on four. The bowler to suffer on both occasions was Powell.

The dropped catches proved costly as Khurram added 85 runs for the second wicket with Younis, setting the platform for Pakistan’s big total.

Younis – who made his 101 off 119 balls, with five fours and a six – then added 103 runs for the third wicket with Misbah. He finally departed in the 42nd over when he tried to reverse sweep left-arm orthodox spinner Nikita Miller and completely missed the ball.

Misbah reached 79 in 91 balls, but it was Kamran Akmal who provided the late flourish. The hero of the opening match for Pakistan made 21 runs in 11 balls with two sixes before he was clean bowled by Taylor off the last ball of the innings.

Taylor (2-50) was the most successful of the West Indies bowlers, while Powell, Lionel Baker, Miller and Chris Gayle each took one wicket.

Pakistan kept an unchanged side, meaning paceman Shoaib Akhtar missed all three matches due to calf muscle injury.

The West Indies made one change as Gayle decided to give another chance to Brendan Nash ahead of their tour of New Zealand, with wicket-keeper Carlton Braugh making way.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:

Salman Butt c Findlay b Powell 0

Khurram Manzoor c Nash b Gayle 30

Younis Khan b Miller 101

Misbah-ul-Haq not out 79

Shoaib Malik b Taylor 13

Shahid Afridi c Chanderpaul b Baker 6

Kamran Akmal b Taylor 21

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, W-20) 23

TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 273

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-88, 3-191, 4-226, 5-233), 6-273.

DID NOT BAT: Sohail Tanvir, Rao Iftikhar, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal.

BOWLING: Powel 10-0-45-1 (14w); Taylor 10-0-50-2 (2w); Baker 10-0-70-1; Miller 10-0-55-1 (1w); Gayle 10-0-50-1 (3w).

WEST INDIES: C.H. Gayle, S. Chattergoon, R.R. Sarwan, S. Chanderpaul, X.M. Marshall, S.E. Findlay, B.P. Nash, J.E. Taylor, N.O. Miller, D.B.L. Powell, L.S. Baker.

UMPIRES: M.R. Benson (England) and D.J. Harper (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: S.J. Davis (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: M.J. Procter (South Africa).—Agencies