/ 27 November 2006

Pakistan’s Yousuf reaches milestone

Mohammad Yousuf set a batting record with his eighth hundred of 2006 but West Indies restricted Pakistan to 257-7 at close of play on the first day of the third and final Test.

Pakistan lost four wickets for 83 runs in the last session on Monday, including that of Yousuf who made 102, his 22nd career century.

Yousuf broke the old record of seven hundreds in a calendar year jointly held by West Indian Vivian Richards and Sri Lankan Aravinda de Silva.

It was also Yousuf’s sixth century against the West Indies in eight Tests and his fifth in successive matches. The 32-year-old has accumulated 1 664 runs in 11 Tests this year.

Apart from his stylish knock, the rest of the Pakistan batting was unimpressive with only opener Imran Farhat contributing a worthwhile 47 runs.

Pakistan were comfortably placed on 174-3 at tea but the persistence of West Indian bowlers Jerome Taylor, Corey Collymore, Daren Powell and Dwayne Bravo paid dividends as Inzamam-ul-Haq (18), Shoaib Malik (18), Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq (7) fell to careless shots.

Inzamam’s dismissal in the third over after tea was the catalyst for the mini-collapse.

The Pakistan captain, struggling for form, hit part-time bowler Daren Ganga straight to a delighted Shivnarine Chanderpaul at mid-off after toiling for 64 balls without a boundary.

Malik was trapped leg before by Taylor and Yousuf was also given leg before to a sharp in-cutter from Collymore. He hit 15 fours in his 158-ball knock. Razzaq edged Dwayne Bravo to keeper Denesh Ramdin.

West Indies are 1-0 down in the series. — Reuters