Indies

West Indies take a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series after Jayden Seales dominates with the ball on day 4 in Trinidad.

Paceman Jayden Seales ‌claimed his fourth five-wicket haul to bowl the West ⁠⁠Indies to ⁠a 90-run victory over Pakistan in the opening Test match in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago.

After eking out a 29-run first-innings ⁠lead, the West ⁠⁠Indies made 181 in their second innings to set Pakistan a target of 211 on Tuesday, the fourth day of play.

Seales (5-20) and his pace ⁠colleagues returned to produce a superb fast-bowling display at the Brian Lara Stadium, routing Pakistan for 120 in a little over 40 overs, with one day of play remaining.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam made an unbeaten 58 and combined ‌with number 11 Mohammad Abbas (23) in a brief resistance, but the West ⁠⁠Indies’ victory appeared a formality after the tourists slumped to 71-9.

Pakistan number three Shan Masood, who fractured his finger during his first-innings knock of 109, batted at number eight in the second innings. He made three before ⁠Seales dismissed him.

Captain Roston ⁠Chase dedicated the victory to West Indies great Garry Sobers, who died earlier this month.

“We wanted to make him proud and had a chat about it ⁠before the match. I hope he is smiling down on us,” Chase said afterwards.

“I ⁠love the direction this team is ⁠heading. We’re not relying on one or two players; everyone is chipping in at crucial moments.”

Babar said Pakistan’s lack of partnerships proved costly.

“Today, as a batting ‌unit, we weren’t up to the mark. We kept losing wickets back-to-back, and the batting failed. That’s something we’re working ‌on,” ‌he said.

The second and final Test match in Port of Spain begins on Sunday.

First Test, Tarouba (day four of five)

West Indies 311 (Hope 92; Ali 4-50) & 181 (Joseph 38; Abbas 5-22)

Pakistan 282 (Masood 109; Greaves 5-27) & 120 (Azam 58*; Seales 5-20)

West Indies won by 90 runs; lead series 1-0

Scorecard

Jayden Seales claimed 5-20 as the West Indies pace attack ruthlessly crushed Pakistan to clinch a 90-run victory just after tea on day four of the first Test.

Set 211 for victory, Pakistan were reduced to 71-9 in their second innings on a deteriorating pitch and had looked on course to be bowled out for their lowest total in Tests against the hosts.

However, a battling 10th-wicket partnership between Babar Azam and Muhammad Abbas worth 49 runs took the match into the evening session.

The Pakistan skipper made an unbeaten 58, before Seales secured the success at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad when he had Abbas trapped lbw for 23.

West Indies skipper Roston Chase dedicated the victory to the late Sir Garfield Sobers, who died recently and would have turned 90 on the day they wrapped up victory.

“We wanted to make him proud and had a chat about it before the match. I hope he is smiling down on us,” said Chase.

“I also want to thank the Trinidad crowd for coming out and supporting us. It was not a big crowd but it gave us enough energy and support to go out there and perform.”

Having resumed on 126-7, West Indies managed to add 55 runs for their last three wickets in the morning session.

Shamar Joseph top-scored for the hosts with 38 off 27 balls, including four sixes, while Kemar Roach made a dogged 18 off 63 balls.

Abbas was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers as he claimed 5-22.

Their chase started to unravel before lunch when Seales removed Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais and Salman Agha.

Justin Greaves, who had taken five wickets for no runs on day three during an incredible spell of five wicket maidens, bowled Mohammad Rizwan before he trapped Aamer Jamal lbw as West Indies tightened their grip.

Shan Masood batted with a fractured finger and briefly delayed the inevitable before he spooned a catch to backward point as Pakistan’s resistance faded.

Babar was defiant in his knock, but ultimately ran out of partners as his side slumped to their eighth consecutive defeat in Tests away from home.

He said: “We played good cricket in the last few days but today we were not up to the mark as a batting unit.

“There was uneven bounce in the pitch but we should have looked to build partnerships. The basics stay the same, you have to survive the new ball and look to score when it gets a bit old.”

Pakistan will attempt to level the two-match series in the second Test in Port of Spain, which begins on 2 August.

First Test, Tarouba (day three of five)

West Indies 311 (Hope 92; Ali 4-50) & 126-7 (Chanderpaul 35, Abbas 3-14)

Pakistan 282 (Masood 109; Greaves 5-27)

West Indies lead by 155 runs

Scorecard

West Indies all-rounder Justin Greaves took five wickets without conceding a run in an incredible spell of bowling on day three of the first Test against Pakistan.

Greaves, who is playing in his 17th Test, claimed his maiden Test five-wicket haul to help dismiss Pakistan for 282 in response to West Indies’ first-innings total of 311.

The 32-year-old Barbadian’s spell – five consecutive wicket maidens – was all the more remarkable given he had bowled six overs earlier in the day for 27 runs without taking a wicket.

“When I came on captain Roston Chase just said ‘continue to be disciplined in what you are doing’ and to see if I can get some wickets for the team,” Greaves said.

“The ball nipped around and I got some reward. Anytime I get the ball in hand the team looks to me to be that solid player for them [and] try to dig us out of situations.

“To get five wickets for the first time in Test cricket, I’m really happy, but there’s still a lot of work to do in the game.”

Pakistan captain Shan Masood was Greaves’ first wicket at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad when he was bowled for 109 in the 64th over following a superb set-up.

Greaves had pushed the ball wide to the left-hander from over the wicket before he tailed a delivery back into Masood who played down the wrong line and inside edged on to his stumps.

Aamer Jamal had his middle stump uprooted in Greaves’ next over as the seamer speared one through his defences.

Greaves then trapped Ali Usman lbw before he had Mohammed Rizwan and Mohammad Abbas both caught behind as Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for just 38 runs.

West Indies reached stumps on day three on 126-7 in their second innings – a lead of 155 runs – to leave the match finely poised.

Garfield St Aubrun Sobers was born in Bridgetown on 28 July 1936, but was only five when his merchant seaman father was killed in World War Two, leaving his mother Thelma to raise half-a-dozen children. Young Garry was born with an extra finger on each hand, which were removed during childhood.

Having excelled at several sports as a schoolboy, he was recruited to local club cricket in his early teens and made his first-class debut at the age of 16 against the Indian tourists at his home town’s Kensington Oval – the ground whose pavilion would one day bear his name.

Sobers was selected to bat at number nine and bowl spin for a star-studded Barbados line-up – he was one of eight current or future Test players, of which no fewer than four would be knighted. He took four wickets in the first innings and three in the second.

And with only one other first-class appearance under his belt, his Test debut came 14 months later as a 17-year-old chosen to take on England in the final Test in Jamaica in early 1954 after the Windies’ regular left-arm spinner Alf Valentine fell ill. Again, he captured four wickets on debut.

Although the famous ‘Three W’s’ – Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell – were the established middle order, Sobers was elevated to number six on his next Test appearance when Australia toured in 1955, and soon showed signs of his all-round quality.

Having made 47 in the second Test, he found himself as an emergency opener in the fourth, where he hit the first three balls he received – from legendary Aussie all-rounder Keith Miller – for four.

Sobers toured England for the first time in 1957, and despite only recording one half-century in five Tests, he lit up Trent Bridge – a ground where he would later shine – with an unbeaten 219 against his future county side Nottinghamshire.