Kamran Akmal batted like a man possessed at Leeds. Kamran Akmal dominated the batting from the get go and helped Pakistan stay unbeaten in the tournament. The talented wicket-keeper batter scored 113 off 62 balls that powered Pakistan to 200/4 after Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first. Others like Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Hafeez to name a few chipped in, but Kamran was the main man in charge.
In reply, Rumman Raees and Sohail Tanvir ripped apart West Indies as they lost early wickets at regular intervals. Ultimately, Chadwick Walton, William Perkins, Dwayne Bravo and Ashley Nurse showed some resistance to take West Indies to 151/7 but they fell way short of the target losing by 49 runs.
Kamran Akmal’s magical hundred propels Pakistan to 200/4Â
Kamran Akmal came to open the batting with Sharjeel Khan after Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first. Kamran made his intentions clear as he hit Sheldon Cottrell for a boundary in the first over itself. Sharjeel made his own intentions clear as he hit Shanon Gabriel for two consecutive boundaries in the very next over. Kamran looked like a man possessed as he hit Sheldon Cottrell for two more boundaries which forced Chris Gayle to turn to Sulieman Benn inside the powerplay.
But Benn was not spared either as Akmal hit him for two fours and a maximum in his opening over. Dwayne Bravo was welcomed to the bowling crease with a maximum from Sharjeel Khan. Ashley Nurse was introduced and was hit for two boundaries in the over by Kamran Akmal. Sharjeel survived a close run out call as Pakistan at the end of the powerplay were 65/0. The introduction of Kieron Pollard brought the first wicket for West Indies as Sharjeel fell for 21 off 14 balls with 2 fours and a six to his name.
Pollard bowled it full and outside off with pace off the ball, Sharjeel threw his bat at it. The ball went straight to backward point where Dwayne Smith made no mistake. Sohaib Maqsood walked out to the middle and got off the mark straightaway. Dave Mohammed came into the attack and was greeted once again by Kamran Akmal for two consecutive boundaries as Akmal brought up his fifty off 30 balls. Kieron Pollard was not spared as he was hit by Akmal for a maximum.
Kamran survived a close run out chance in the 10th over as he made it back to the crease in time. At the end of 10 overs, Pakistan were 96/1 at the halfway stage. Kamran hit a majestic maximum off Benn to bring up the 100 for Pakistan in 10.1 overs. He then hit a boundary to drive home the advantage. Then came a big moment when Kamran Akmal was put down by Dwayne Bravo in the deep off Sulieman Benn as the batter gets a reprieve. Kamran added insult to injury by smashing Benn for a maximum followed by another boundary as 22 runs came off the over.
Dave Mohammed bowled a tight over before Kamran broke the shackles by hitting a boundary off Bravo. Maqsood joined in the fun as he launched Bravo into the stands for the maximum. Dave in the end had his man as he dismissed Maqsood for 17 off 13 balls with a six to his name. Dave bowled a googly on a shorter length just outside off keeping low. Maqsood looked to heave it away but got a bottom edge where Chadwick Walton did well behind the stumps to get low and took the sharp catch. Captain Mohammad Hafeez walked out to bat next at 4.
Hafeez got off the mark with a boundary. Soon, the big moment came as Kamran Akmal reached his century off 56 balls as he clipped the back of a length delivery on the pads to square leg for a single and raised his bat to applause from the crowd. Gabriel bowled a no ball and the free hit was dealt with well as Kamran got the edge through for a boundary. After 15 overs, Pakistan were 155/2.
Kamran continued his merry ways by hitting Sheldon Cottrell for a huge six. Soon, Dwayne Bravo came back into the attack and picked up the wicket of Kamran Akmal for 113 off 62 balls with 13 fours and 5 sixes to his name. Bravo bowled a slower delivery on a fuller length around off, Kamran looked to go downtown and mistimed it. The long-on fielder Nikita Miller settled underneath it to take the catch. Asif Ali came into bat next and hit the first ball out of the ground for the maximum. Hafeez hit another boundary off Bravo to end the over.
Sheldon Cottrell managed to bowl a tight over. Bravo also bowled a miserly over to end his spell as Pakistan were now 189/3 in 19 overs. Ashley Nurse was given the last over to bowl. He got rid of Mohammad Hafeez for 23 off 18 balls with 2 boundaries to his name. Nurse bowled from over the wicket full and angling on off-stump. Hafeez looked to heave it across the line but misses it completely. The ball sneaked past his bat and crashed into the stumps. Shoaib Malik walked out to bat next.
Malik got off the mark with a brace and managed to launch a maximum off Nurse in the penultimate ball off the innings. Pakistan brought up their 200 in the final ball of the innings ending at 200/4 in 20 overs with Asif Ali on 10* off 10 balls with a six to his name and Shoaib Malik on 10* off 4 balls with a six to his name. Just 6 extras given by the West Indies bowlers.
A mixed bag bowling performance from the West Indies bowlers. A wicket each to Dwayne Bravo, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, and Dave Mohammed. The others were wicketless and went for a lot of runs. It meant West Indies Champions needed 201 runs to get back to winning ways in this competition.
Rumman Raees and Sohail Tanvir bamboozles West Indies
Dwayne Smith and captain Chris Gayle walked out to bat in this chase of 201. Tanvir bowled a tight first over. The same was the case with Rumman Raees as Pakistan did not give anything away in the early goings. Chris Gayle finally broke the shackles by smashing a boundary off Tanvir. Raees bowled a no ball but got away with the free hit. But soon, Raees had his man as he got rid of Universe Boss Chris Gayle for 5 off 6 balls.
Raees bowled it full and right in the slot, Gayle looked to go downtown but the ball hits it of the toe end of the bat. The ball skies high in the air where Malik at mid-off settled underneath it and took the catch. Lendl Simmons came to the crease next and was cleaned up first ball for a golden duck. Fuller length swinging back into the stumps, Simmons danced down the track and looked to heave it big over the leg side but could not get even near the ball and missed it by a mile. The ball went and crashed the leg stump. Chadwick Walton came in and negotiated the hat-trick ball.
Sohail Khan was introduced into the attack and was launched by Walton for two sixes in consecutive balls. Sohail bowled a no ball but got away with the free hit. Raees got another one as the struggling innings of Dwayne Smith came to an end falling for 3 off 20 balls. Raees bowled it full and angling back in, Smith had a wild swing across to get a thick inside edge which crashed back into the middle stump. William Perkins came in as Impact Substitute player for Shanon Gabriel who was subbed out. At the end of the powerplay, West Indies were struggling at 26/3.
Walton continued to fight for West Indies hitting a maximum off Sohail Khan. Imad Wasim was introduced into the attack after the powerplay and Walton hit him for a maximum as well as he was the lone man fighting for West Indies. Wahab Riaz came into the attack and was finally hit for a boundary by Impact Player William Perkins as West Indies tried to break the shackles. Walton smashed another maximum off Imad Wasim. At the halfway stage after 10 overs, West Indies were 64/3.
Perkins tried to keep the fight going after hitting a boundary off Riaz. Aamer Yamin was introduced into the attack and was greeted by a boundary from William Perkins. Perkins continued his merry ways by hitting Sohail Khan for another boundary. Yamin gave 4 leg byes away to Walton before striking and getting rid of the danger man for 42 off 30 balls with 5 hits over the fence.
Yamin kept it full and outside off-stump, Walton looks to drive and gets a thick inside edge which rolls back onto the stumps as the ball nipped back in a bit. The budding partnership was broken. Dwayne Bravo was the new batter in and got off the mark straightaway. Yamin then had two in the over as he castled William Perkins. Yamin bowled the yorker right into the block hole. Perkins made room trying to cheekily place it towards backward point but got beaten for pace. The middle stump got cartwheeled to Kamran Akmal. Ashley Nurse came out to bat and got off the mark as well.
Bravo then launched a maximum over the bowler’s head off Tanvir for the maximum as the 100 came up for West Indies Champions in 14.3 overs. At the end of 15 overs, West Indies were 105/5 chasing 201 for the win. Wasim bowled a tight over giving away 5 runs. Bravo then hit Wahab for another boundary. Wahab bowled a no ball as well, but no damage was done on the free hit. Wahab slipped off while bowling and went off the field. Sohail Khan completed his over and got hit for a boundary by Bravo.
Ashley Nurse got into the act as he smashed the low full toss off Yamin for a boundary. Bravo then took on Yamin and deposited him way back into the crowd for the maximum. Nurse managed to get a boundary away off Imad Wasim but it was too little too late in the proceedings. After 19 overs, West Indies were 143/5 and out of the contest.
Sohail Tanvir’s first ball off the 20th over was smashed away for the maximum over deep square leg. Tanvir had his man few balls later as he dismissed Ashley Nurse for 25 off 17 balls with 2 fours and a six to his name. Tanvir kept it full and on off-stump. Nurse shimmied down the track trying to go downtown and got beaten. The ball crashed into the off-stump and it went cartwheeling through to Kamran Akmal the keeper. Dave Mohammed came in next and got off the mark as well.
After Bravo took a single off the penultimate ball, Tanvir knocked over Dave Mohammed off the final ball of the game. Mohammed made 1. Tanvir bowled it fuller and on the middle stump line. Mohammed looked to whip it leg side and misses. The ball keeps it shape and uprooting the middle stump. So, West Indies finish with 151/7 in 20 overs with Bravo remaining unbeaten on 30 off 21 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name. 15 extras gifted by Pakistan Champions today.
Impact Player Rumman Raees made instant impact and was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/4 in 3 overs. Raees completely shattered the top order of West Indies. He was ably supported by Sohail Tanvir who picked up the last two wickets as he finished with 2/24 in 4 overs. Aamer Yamin chipped in with 2/23 in 3 overs. Imad Wasim was wicketless in his 4 overs for 31 runs. The others went for a bit but did not matter as Pakistan were comfortable winners by 31 runs. For his masterful knock, Kamran Akmal was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead
With this win, Pakistan Champions have moved to the top of the points table with 7 points from 4 games with 3 wins and a no result. Pakistan and Australia are the only sides who remain unbeaten in the tournament so far. West Indies, on the other hand, with this loss are still in 4th place with 2 points from 4 games. They have lost 3 out of 4 games so far.
A double-header coming our way on Super Sunday from Leeds, Headingly. First up, it’s 2nd vs 3rd as South Africa Champions take on Australia Champions from 5PM IST. This will be followed by two teams who are at the bottom of the table with 1 point each as India and England will battle it out at 9PM IST. The tournament is heading towards the business end and the matches will be of utmost importance from hereon as the legends will want to dazzle their way to glory.
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