Cricket: Pakistan crumbling after Hooper deluge

West Indies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .438

Pakistan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85-3

FURTHER demoralised by a record last-wicket partnership between Carl Hooper and Courtney Walsh of 106 that extended the West Indies innings past lunch to a final 438, Pakistan immediately lost their opening batsman with only four runs on the board on the second day of the third and final Test here yesterday.

Asif Mujtaba and Javed Miandad set about repairing the damage with a third-wicket partnership of 81, aided by two rain interruptions. But the removal of Javed, lbw on the back foot, to Winston Benjamin, two balls before the weather intervened for the last time, was a significant setback for the Pakistanis, who finished on 85 for 3.

With the series already lost, the Pakistanis were desperate for some consolation and, when the West Indies were 252 for 7 an hour after tea on the opening day, it appeared they were set for their most satisfying returns. However, Hooper, such an enigma that even his staunchest supporters have become exasperated at his continuing failures, chose the opportunity to reveal his best.

By the end of the day he had passed his fourth Test century, his first in the Caribbean, and guided the total to 344 for 9. When he resumed he should not have had Walsh's company for long, as the erratic No 11 steered the second ball he faced from Waqar Younis hard and head height to Zahid Fazal, the substitute, at short leg. But the ball burst through his grasp and the last-wicket pair went on to enjoy themselves, Walsh equalling his previous highest Test score of 30, and Hooper adding four fours and a couple of straight sixes to his boundary count. He finished unbeaten on 178, comfortably his highest Test score and equalling Vivian Richards's 1984 effort against Australia as the highest at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

(Second day: West Indies won toss)

WEST INDIES - First Innings

D L Haynes c Rashid b Nadim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

P V Simmons c Wasim b Ata-ur-Rehman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

* R B Richardson c Wasim b Waqar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

B C Lara st Rashid b Nadim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

K L C Arthurton lbw b Waqar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

C L Hooper not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178

] J R Murray lbw b Waqar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

C E L Ambrose lbw b Wasim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

A C Cummins lbw b Waqar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

W K M Benjamin c Wasim b Waqar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

C A Walsh c Asif Mujtaba b Wasim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Extras (lb6 nb16). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .438

Fall: 1-35 2-77 3-153 4-159 5-218 6-241 7-252 8-312 9-332.

Bowling: Wasim Akram 26.2-5-108-2 (4nb); Waqar Younis 28-4-104-5; Ata-ur-Rehman 17-3-66-1 (8nb); Nadim Khan 38-5-147-2 (4nb); Asif Mujtaba 1-0-7-0.

PAKISTAN - First Innings

Shakeel Ahmed lbw b Ambrose. . . . 0

Rameez Raja c Murray b Walsh. . . .0

Asif Mujtaba not out. . . . . . . 50

Javed Miandad lbw b Benjamin. . . 31

Basit Ali not out. . . . . . . . . 0

Extras (lb2 nb2). . . . . . . . . .4

Total (for 3). . . . . . . . . . .85

Fall: 1-0 2-4 3-85.

To bat: Inzamam-ul-Haq, * Wasim Akram, Rashid Latif, Waqar Younis, Ata-ur-Rehman, Nadim Khan.

Bowling (to date): Ambrose 9-6-5-1; Walsh 4-1-19-1; Benjamin 7.5-0-18-1; Cummins 5-2-8-0 (2nb); Hooper 6-0-33-0.

Umpires: H D Bird and S U Bucknor.