Windies in control of first Test

Pacers Fidel Edwards (5-38) and Corey Collymore (3-20) bowled out Pakistan for 144 runs to put West Indies in the driving seat at the close on the second day of the first Test in Barbados on Friday.

After deciding against enforcing the follow on when Pakistan were bowled out 201 runs short of their first innings target of 345, West Indies had progressed to 168 for four at stumps to extend their overall lead to 369 runs.

Pakistan did well to remove first innings centurion Brian Lara (48), who had seemed in sublime form, as they took four wickets in the final session with Devon Smith (10), Ramnaresh Sarwan (1) and Chris Gayle (50) falling in successive overs.

Lara again dominated the bowling with some superb strokes in a 52 balls innings that included five fours and a six before being smartly stumped by Kamran Akmal as he was beaten by Shahid Afridi outside the off-stump.

His wicket with West Indies on 137 gave Pakistan hope of a fightback as Lara had threatened to take the game away from them hitting a big six off leg spinner Danish Kaneria over long-off.

BEST CHANCE

West Indies, who were given their best opening stand of the season (59) by Gayle, reaching his 19th Test 50 from only 57 balls, and Smith still appear to have their best chance of scoring their first win of the season.

They have just one win against Bangladesh in their last 18 matches and were beaten 2-0 by South Africa last month.

Smith was the first to go, caught behind by Akmal off Abdul Razzaq after a dour innings of 45 balls.

Afridi than struck in the next over to have Sarwan caught behind off an inside edge, while Gayle was caught bat and pad at short leg in Kaneria's first over.

The home side were put in a dominating position due to big-hearted and disciplined bowling performances from Edwards and Collymore who ran through the visitors batting either side of lunch.

Edwards, who took the wickets of Afridi, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq and Shabbir Ahmed, claimed his third five-wicket haul in his 17th Test.

Pakistan lost six wickets for 50 runs in 14.3 overs following lunch after resuming in the morning on 22 for no loss.

Scoreboard:

West Indies 1st innings: 345 (B. Lara 130, S. Chanderpaul 92)

Pakistan 1st innings: (Overnight: 22-0)
S. Butt c Browne b Collymore 27
S. Afridi c De.Smith b Edwards 16
Y. Hameed b Edwards 12
Y. Khan c Collymore b Edwards 31
B. Khan c Browne b Collymore 9
A. Kamal c Sarwan b King 0
A. Razzaq lbw b Edwards10
K. Akmal c W. Hinds b King 4
Naved-ul-Hasan c Sarwan b Collymore 17
S. Ahmed b Edwards 6
D. Kaneria not out  4

Extras (b-4 nb-4)  8

Total  (all out, 43.4 overs)  144
 
Fall of wickets: 1-26 2-54 3-76 4-96 5-96 6-100 7-113 8-120 9-132 10-144

Bowling: Edwards 14-1-38-5, Powell 10-4-36-0 (nb-1), King 11-1-46-2 (nb-3), Collymore 8.4-3-20-3.

West Indies 2nd innings:
C. Gayle c Kamal b Kaneria 50
D. Smith c Akmal b Razzaq 10
R. Sarwan c Akmal b Afridi 1
B. Lara st Akmal b Afridi 48
S. Chanderpaul not out 37
W. Hinds not out 14

Extras (lb-5 nb-3) 8

Total  (for 4 wickets, 46 overs) 168
 
Fall of wickets: 1-59 2-64 3-65 4-137

To bat: C. Browne, D. Powell, F. Edwards, R. King, C. Collymore

Bowling: Naved-ul-Hasan 11-4-36-0, Ahmed  7-2-18-0 (nb-1), Kaneria12-0-55-1, Razzaq 9-1-28-1, Afridi 7-1-26-2 (nb-2).