Windies sink hapless Pakistan, rain washes out Aussies
SYDNEY, Feb 21, West Indies condemned hapless Pakistan to a record-shattering start to a one-day international Saturday before completing a 150-run World Cup rout, while Australia's clash with Bangladesh was abandoned in cyclone-battered Brisbane.
West Indies, the 1975 and 1979 champions, scored 310 for six at Christchurch's Hagley Oval, with 115 runs coming in a swashbuckling final 10 overs as Lendl Simmons, Andre Russell and Darren Sammy hit out.
In reply, 1992 winners Pakistan crumbled to their second straight defeat as they were all out for 160 after the top four wickets fell for just one run, the worst start in ODI history.
The West Indies, meanwhile, bounced back from their shock first-up loss to Ireland as six batsmen posted scores of 30 or more.
“In the last game things didn't go well for us, and we just turned up today and wanted to show the world that we are not just a pushover,” said man-of-the-match Russell, who hit 42 not out off 17 balls before claiming three wickets.
Denesh Ramdin top-scored with 51, Simmons added 50 to go with his century against Ireland, Darren Bravo scored 49 while Marlon Samuels and Sammy chipped in with 38 and 30 respectively.
Bravo was unfortunate not to reach what would have been his 17th ODI half-century when he was forced to retire hurt with a pulled hamstring.
It was the second time he required medical treatment after being dazed earlier in the innings when a powerful throw from Younis Khan hit him on the side of the helmet as he scrambled through for a single.
The 26-year-old left-hander is expected to miss the next two games against Zimbabwe in Canberra on Tuesday and South Africa in Sydney next Friday. However, that wasn't the end of Bravo's painful afternoon -- he was later reprimanded for swearing while he was at the crease.
“It was a wonderful performance,” said West Indies skipper Jason Holder. “We batted really well.
“Jerome Taylor (3-15) was excellent with the new ball.” Pakistan were staring down the barrel at one for four, the worst start to any ODI innings, with the previous record held by non-Test side Canada's four for four against Zimbabwe in 2006.
Nasir Jamshed went without scoring when he lobbed the second ball from Taylor to Russell at short midwicket.
Taylor finished off the opening over with Younis caught behind for a duck and in his next over dismissed Haris Sohail to have the impressive figures of three wickets for one run in two overs.
Holder bagged his first wicket of the tournament when he had Ahmed Shahzad caught in the gully for one in his first over.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq didn't pull any punches after his side's second defeat in as many matches, with this result significantly worse than their 76-run defeat by arch-rivals and defending champions India.
“We just flopped in all three departments,” Misbah said.
“We didn't bowl well, a lot of dropped catches and batting totally flopped.” “As a bowler, as a fielder, as a batsman, you have to go there in the middle and perform. That's what we are not doing at the moment.” Two defeats left Pakistan, the 1992 champions, at the bottom of Pool B. They resumed their faltering campaign against Zimbabwe in Brisbane on March 1.
But the West Indies' chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals have improved considerably. Australia's Pool A match with Bangladesh in Brisbane was predictably abandoned without a ball bowled because of torrential rain, a legacy of Tropical Cyclone Marcia which had caused widespread destruction and flooding throughout Queensland.
That meant both sides collected a point apiece for the no-result at the Gabba and left them on three each in Pool A, with runaway leaders New Zealand topping the group with six points following three straight wins.
“It was obviously disappointing not to get out there today. It's a place that we play really well out here at the Gabba but we can't control the weather,” said Australia batsman Steve Smith.
Australia now have a long gap between their opening 111-run win over England in Melbourne on February 14 and their next match against New Zealand in Auckland on February 28.