West Indies suffers first defeat under Adams

BRIDGETOWN (BARBADOS), APRIL 20. West Indies suffered its first defeat since Jimmy Adams took over the captaincy from Brian Lara when it lost by 17 runs to Pakistan in the first game of the three-match triangular series final.

Chasing a modest target of 198, it collapsed from 99 for one to 123 for six and despite some meaty blows by Sylvester Joseph, which brought him 28 off 32 balls, succumbed to 180 all out.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram played a significant role in his side's win, conceding just 30 runs from his 10 overs after reviving Pakistan's flagging innings with 42 off 36 balls.

Akram, named man of the match, and Mushtaq Ahmed shared an unbroken ninth wicket stand of 53 - the best of the innings - after Pakistan had laboured to 144 for eight.

Akram's swashbuckling innings included a straight six in Franklyn Rose's penultimate over which cost 15 runs and two legside boundaries off Curtly Ambrose's final over.

Earlier, Inzamam-ul-Haq had steadied the innings after Pakistan lost its first two wickets for 32 by the 10th over. He and Younis Khan added 49 for the third wicket but Younis's run out for 23 sparked a mini collapse which saw Pakistan tumble to 101 for five. Inzamam completed 7,000 runs in one-day internationals during his knock of 67 off 87 balls.West Indies had looked odds on favourite to record its fifth successive win of the series when opener Philo Wallace and Wavell Hinds put on 86 for the second wicket in 24.3 overs.

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