It was oh so close

Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor

The West Indies and Jimmy Adams had several escapes yesterday as they clipped Pakistan to win the three-Test series 1-0. Above Adams (right) and Curtly Ambrose find themselves in the same crease but the Pakistanis failed to run out either player.

THE showdown between the West Indies and Pakistan ended in a thrilling, nail-biting climax and a memorable victory for the home team at the Antigua Recreation Ground yesterday.

In a fairy-tale finish to a magnificent contest, the West Indies, braced by a defiant undefeated innings by their lion-hearted captain James Adams and blessed by the gods, survived a brilliant attack by Pakistan to win by one solitary wicket.

Set a victory target of 219, resuming on 144 for four and needing another 72 to win with six wickets in hand to win the deciding third and final Test, the West Indies lost five wickets for 53 runs and were falling at 197 for nine before Adams and Courtney Walsh, in 73 minutes and 17 overs of high drama, rescued them with a heart-stopping last-wicket partnership of 19.

The end came 35 minutes before tea when Adams, appropriately so, stroked Wasim Akram into the offside, and with Walsh responding with his long legs, raced away for the winning run.

Final score at the end of a glorious shootout, Pakistan 269 and 219, the West Indies 273 and 216 for nine with Adams on 48. After standing in the breach for 337 minutes and 212 deliveries and Walsh, his comrade at arms at the end, on four after standing guard for 73 minutes and 22 deliveries.

In winning the match, the West Indies took the 2000 Cable & Wireless series one-nil.

Resuming on 15 after batting for 129 minutes and 71 deliveries on the previous afternoon, Adams, a look of grim determination on his 32-year-old face, batted for another 208 minutes and 141 deliveries and never lost his focus - not even when Pakistan, inspired by some brilliant bowling by left-arm pacer Wasim Akram who finished with five for 49 off 30 overs for the impressive match figures of 11 for 110 off 56.2 overs, threatened to snatch victory.

In a bid to win the match and to tick off their first series victory in five attempts in the Caribbean, Pakistan, with Akram from the north and right-arm legspinner Mushtaq Ahmed from the south, started with their two big guns, and when Akram trapped Ramnaresh Sarwan for six at 161 for five in his third over after 26 minutes, the battle was on the way. Twenty-nine minutes later it was 169 for six when Ridley Jacobs was run out for five, and when Franklyn Rose, on four, went at Mushtaq and Akram ran to his right from long-on to make it 177 for seven, the tension was high around the ARG. Ambrose smashed Mushtaq for a six over mid-wicket before he fell leg before wicket to Saqlain at 194 for eight on the stroke of lunch. At that stage, the West Indies were 22 short of victory with Reon King and Walsh to come, and when, in his second over after the break, King shouldered arms to Akram, left his offstump exposed and was bowled offstump for zero at 197 for nine, you could hear a pin drop anywhere around the ground as Walsh walked out to face the music. The veteran of 117 Test matches was equal to the task, however, and in what must have been his finest moment as a batsman, stayed with his captain until the mission was accomplished. It was close, very close, victory could have gone to either side, and apart from running into Adams who was so determined to bat to the end - so much so that he did not even attempt to score a boundary, Pakistan had only themselves to blame for not coming away the victors. The squandered two wonderful opportunities - one to open the door, and one to win. The one to open the door came when, with the score on 187 for seven and the West Indies still 29 runs away with only King and Walsh to come, they failed to run out Adams. The chance came when Adams played Saqlain towards long-leg and when Imran Nazir's throw went back to Moin Khan the wicketkeeper broke the wicket with Ambrose in and Adams stranded in mid-pitch. By the time he realised his mistake and threw the ball to Saqlain, Adams had scrambled home. The one to win came when, with the score on 202 for nine, Walsh played forward to Saqlain, the ball ran off his front pad towards leg gully, and with Adams racing away to take the strike, with Walsh responding late and only a few yards out of his own crease, Younis Khan threw the ball to the bowler's end where Saqlain failed to gather. That is the one which rescued the West Indies and which will haunt Pakistan for a long time.

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