Rashid and Abdur rescue Pakistan

West Indies 190 Pakistan 193-6 Pakistan win by 4 wickets

Pakistan's batsmen fought back from a faltering start to beat the West Indies by four wickets in the first of three one-day internationals yesterday.

Rashid Latif (47) and the all-rounder Abdur Razzaq (46 not out) chipped in with telling middle-order contributions as Pakistan reached 193 for 6 in 46.1 overs after the West Indies had them in trouble at 15 for 3 by the eighth over.

Earlier, the West Indies were bowled out for a modest 190 in 48.3 overs, with opener Chris Gayle hitting a brisk 50 off 53 balls and captain Carl Hooper making a patient 45 off 81.

Pakistan's innings began badly when Naveed Latif was caught behind for no score off the second ball of the innings, bowled by the pace man Mervyn Dillon, and Younis Khan ran himself out in the next over for one. Inzamam-ul-Haq made one run in 19 balls before he carelessly pulled a Cameron Cuffy delivery to mid-wicket to put Pakistan in trouble.

However, the middle-order stood firm in a way England's has not of late, as Shahid Afridi (35) and Yousuf Youhana (39) shared in a fourth-wicket stand of 47 before Afridi fell, hooking Darel Brown to Corey Collimore at deep mid-wicket.

Youhana and Naveed maintained the momentum as they added a further 48 for the fifth wicket and, although both batsmen were removed by Hooper's off-spin, Pakistan were by then on course for victory.

After electing to bat, the West Indies made a promising start despite the early loss of the opener Daren Ganga (15), who was out hit-wicket off the bowling of Waqar Younis.

Gayle and Wavell Hinds had taken the score to 56 by the 12th over when Shoaib Akhtar struck with his second ball to remove Hinds for 14, the batsman hitting straight to Younis Khan at point.

However, with Gayle in fine form, the West Indies raced to 97 off 18 overs before Abdur took two wickets in three balls. The medium-pacer bowled Gayle and had Shivnarine Chanderpaul caught by Afridi for a duck.

With the West Indies tottering at 97 for 4, Hooper and Ridley Jacobs attempted to steady the ship but, in doing so, the runs dried up. They did muster a 44-run partnership for the sixth wicket before the Caribbean side lost their last five wickets for just 29 runs, with the off-spinner Saqlain Musthaq taking 2 for 28.

FIRST ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL (Sharjah): West Indies 190 (C H Gayle 50); Pakistan 193 for 6. Pakistan win by four wickets.