Akram stands tall for Pakistan

Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua -

IN 36 matches spread over 42 years, the West Indies and Pakistan have fought some memorable battles. The toughest and most exciting, however, the mother of them all, could well be the third and final Test in progress at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

After three days of pulsating action, top-class cricket fit for an audience of emperors and some brilliant performances by the batsmen and bowlers on both sides, the showdown, the shootout in the deciding contest in the 2000 Cable & Wireless series is heading for a blazing finish.

At stumps on yesterday's third day, the scoreboard read, Pakistan 269 and 157-5 with Inzamam-ul-Haq blasting 10 boundaries in fine knock of 68 and Yousuf Youhana undefeated on 41, the West Indies 273, and with two days to go, with Pakistan leading by 153 runs with five wickets in hand, the match and the series are up for grabs.

Yesterday's action really set up the prospect of a thriller at the end.

In the most amazing spell in the 15 Test matches at the ARG, Wasim Akram, a few days short of his 34th birthday, ripped out six West Indies batsmen for a mere 19 runs in 11.2 overs to finish with 6-61 off 26.2 overs and in the process moved his tally of five wickets in a Test innings to 23.

In a purple patch during which he cut the ball off the seam and swung it through the air so prodigiously that he was unplayable, Akram picked up all six wickets in his last 27 deliveries while conceding only four runs.

Resuming on 214-3 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 68 and James Adams on 60, the West Indies appeared set to build a commanding, possibly decisive first innings lead.

In a glorious ambush, however, Pakistan, fired by the pace, the swing and the guile of their gifted left-hander, snatched the remaining seven wickets for 59 runs in 123 minutes and 23 overs as the West Indies, after all the expectations of their fans, had to settle for a slim lead of four runs.

With Waqar Younis striking the first blow at 218-4 when he trapped Adams leg before wicket for his overnight score, and with Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan stroking the ball confidently and looking dangerous, Akram moved into action, sent away Sarwan leg before for 10 at 235-5 with a delivery which cut back into the right-hander off the seam and proceeded to cut down the batsmen at the rate of a wicket per over.

Ridley Jacobs, leaning forward, was leg before for zero at 243-6 when an inswinging yorker landed on his instep; the left-handed Chanderpaul, after reeling off some lovely strokes, including a drive over long-on for six off pacer Razzaq, was deceived and bowled for 89 at 254-7; left-hander Curtly Ambrose drove a delivery which left him to Youhana at backward point and went his way for zero at 258-8; Franklyn Rose hooked high to Abdur Razzaq at long leg and departed for 15 at 269-9; and Reon King, attempting to pull, to hook, or to get away, ended up in a tangle and lobbed a return catch in the over after lunch.

With only four runs separating the teams after the first innings, the contest was now a one-inning affair, and with Imran Nazir going back and smashing a short delivery from Courtney Walsh to Ramnaresh Sarwan at gully and going off for zero to make it 0-1 in the second over, with Ambrose removing Younis Khan leg before for two (3-2), and with Mohammad Wasim shouldering arms against King and losing his offstump for 21 (49-3), Pakistan were off to their usual false start.

Once again, however, they recovered with Inzamam and Youhana posting a stroke-filled fourth-wicket partnership of 80 off 165 deliveries in 121 minutes.

Inzamam was in superb form and his drives through the offside, his square-cuts and his hooks echoed around the ground like gunshots before he went back to Rose, cut at a short delivery and umpire Billy Doctrove of Dominica, standing in his first Test, sent him away at 129-4 in response to a confident appeal for a catch by wicketkeeper Jacobs.

Minutes before the end of another exciting day, captain Moin Khan drove King to Wavell Hinds at mid-wicket to leave Pakistan on 150-5 and the contest nicely poised.

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