HOPE, SEALES HELP WINDIES END 34-YEAR DROUGHT AGAINST PAKISTAN

Courtesy of @wiplayers
Man of the Match Shai Hope celebrates his century against Pakistan during the third and final One-Day International in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday. Hope scored an unbeaten 120

A SENSATIONAL, unbeaten century from skipper Shai Hope, followed by a devastating spell of fast bowling by Jayden Seales piloted the West Indies to a historic 202-run victory over Pakistan at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Their heroics ended a 34-year-long wait for a bilateral One-Day International (ODI) series win over Pakistan, having last defeated them in 1991, and was also their largest ever win over the visitors.

It also gave the West Indies their first ODI series win for 2025, following defeats to England and Pakistan and a drawn series against Ireland.

Player-of-the-Match Hope produced a master class of an innings in scoring 120 not out and was the main reason the home side posted a formidable 294 for six in their 50 overs after they were sent in to bat.

Seales, who was named Player of the Series after finishing with 10 wickets, then wrecked Pakistan’s top order on his way to the joint second-best figures (6-18) by a West Indies man in ODI cricket, to bundle them out for just 92 in 29.2 overs.

The West Indies were stifled by a slow start, and by the end of the 14th over, had progressed to 57 for the loss of openers Brandon King and Evin Lewis for five and 37, respectively.

Abrar Ahmed looked out of sorts for the second straight match before Abrar Ahmed dismissed him yet again for 17 from 45 balls, and when Sherfane Rutherford lost his wicket to Saim Ayub for a laboured 15 from 40 balls, West Indies fell to 113 for four in the 31st over, a run rate of less than four runs an over.

Courtesy of @wiplayers
West Indies Player of the Series Jayden Seales (second right) celebrates with teammates after taking a Pakistan wicket during yesterday’s third and final One-Day International at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago. Seales bagged six for 18.

Hope found a useful ally in Roston Chase, and the pair added 64 runs in 10 overs to get the West Indies going.

During that period, Hope reached his half-century off 54 balls with a paddle sweep off spinner Mohammad Nawaz that brought him three runs.

Chase hit two huge sixes and three fours in his knock before he was undone by an excellent yorker from pacer Naseem Shah to leave the Windies 177 for five in the 41st over.

Gudakesh Motie only lasted seven balls before he was caught and bowled by Mohammad Nawaz, and the home side were in real trouble of being bowled out inside their allotted overs.

However, a 110-run partnership between Hope and Justin Greaves completely turned the innings around and left Pakistan’s bowlers shell shocked.

Hope began the carnage by blasting Mohammad Nawaz for consecutive sixes in the 44th over that yielded 15 runs and followed up by clobbering Ahmed for two sixes and a four in the ensuing over that went for 18, to move into the 90s.

He then brought up his 18th ODI century off 83 balls with a blazing cover drive off Shah that sped away to the boundary.

Greaves then got into the act, hoisting Hasan Ali for a six and a four in the 18th over that also cost 18.

Hope saved his best for the penultimate over, blasting Shah for a six and three fours, and he deservingly ended the innings by hitting Ali over point for another boundary.

In all, he faced 94 balls and struck 10 fours and five sixes while Greaves ended unbeaten on 43 from 24 balls with four fours and two sixes as the West Indies gathered 100 from the last seven overs.

Pakistan’s run chase suffered an early setback when Seales had Ayub caught behind with the third ball of the innings without a run on the board.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when the fast bowler had Abdullah Shafique caught at mid-on by Motie, also for a duck, and then bowled captain Mohammad Rizwan first ball with an inswinger that he left alone, to leave Pakistan in tatters at eight for three.

The match was essentially over when Seales trapped Babar Azam lbw for nine as Pakistan fell to 23 for four.

Hasan Nawaz and Salman Agha tried their best in a 38-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but once Motie had the former stumped as he tried to hit him out of the ground, the end came swiftly.

Hussain Talat was bowled by a quicker delivery from Chase, and Motie snapped up a sharp caught-and-bowled opportunity to dismiss Agha for the topscore of 30 to make the score 70 for seven.

Seales then returned to dismiss Shah and Ali cheaply, and Chase ran out Abrar Ahmed to finish the match and spark wild celebrations among the West Indies players and fans.

ENGLAND SEAL HISTORIC TEST WIN IN PAKISTAN

Joe Root and Harry Brook shared the highest ever Test partnership for England as the tourists staged a stunning comeback and make history in the first Test against Pakistan in Multan.

Pakistan’s 220 all out on the final day left England victors by an innings and 47 runs. No team in Test history has ever conceded as many as the 556 as England did in Pakistan’s first innings then gone on to win by an innings.

It means England have now won on three successive occasions when they have leaked totals in excess of 500. Only once before have England fielded first, been hit for more runs and gone on to win and that was in 1894.

The turnaround was built on a staggering batting effort, when England amassed their highest total since 1938, 823-7 declared. Brook’s 317 was England’s first triple-century for 34 years and his 454-run partnership with Joe Root, who made 262, their highest in Tests.

Though Pakistan began the fifth day six wickets down, Abrar Ahmed was absent through illness, and England were initially held up by Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal adding 109 for the seventh wicket.

Jack Leach needed only four deliveries to trap Salman lbw for 63, then took a sharp caught-and-bowled to remove Shaheen Shah Afridi. Naseem Shah charged to be stumped, giving Leach 4-30 in his first Test since January.

England have now won four consecutive Tests in Pakistan and can win the series in the second Test on the same ground, beginning on Tuesday.

England Captain Ollie Pope, speaking to BBC Test Match Special: “Amazing. The way Rooty and Brooky batted was phenomenal. Coming off the field after the first innings we knew 550 was a lot of runs.

“We didn’t know how much [the pitch] was going to break up, but it held together pretty nicely and the boys cashed in.

“We had to find a way of taking wickets, as captain you have to try to get creative and set different plans. That was the main challenge for me trying to find a way of taking 10 wickets and being OK with them getting those runs and keeping your head if someone did get in.”

- Edgbaston.com