Malik's century, Sami's hat-trick sends West Indies packing

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, February 15: Mohammad Sami grabbed a hat-trick after a maiden century by Shoaib Malik to lift Pakistan to a 51-run win over the West Indies on Friday, giving them a decisive 2-0 lead in the three-match one-day series.

Malik, sent in as a pinch-hitter, hit an unbeaten 111 off 130 balls as Pakistan, electing to bat in the day-night international, recovered from 51-4 to post 232 all out.

Sami, the least experienced member of Pakistan's seam attack, then claimed the last three wickets off successive balls to bowl the West Indies out for 181 in 34.4 overs.

In what is becoming a frequent feature with West Indian batting, the last five wickets fell for just three runs after they appeared to be coasting to victory.

Chris Gayle smashed 62 off 46 balls to lift the West Indies to 101-1 by only the 14th over, before four middle-order wickets went down for 32 runs.

Left-handed Gayle hit eight boundaries and three sixes in a thrilling display of attacking batting before offering a tame catch to point off Shoaib Akhtar.

The West Indies were still in with a chance when Ryan Hinds and Shivnarine Chanderpaul lifted the score to 178-5 in the 34th over, but it was not long before the rot send in.

Versatile all-rounder Abdul Razzaq removed both batsmen in one over, setting the stage for a grand finale by Sami.

Bowling his eighth over, Sami trapped Ridley Jacobs leg-before with the second ball, then clean bowled Corey Collymore and Cameron Cuffy with the next two to complete the hat-trick.

Both Sami and Malik played only because Pakistan decided to rest their veteran all-rounder Wasim Akram and leading off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.

Sami is the sixth Pakistani bowler to claim a hat-trick in one-day internationals. Others before him were Mohammad Jalaluddin, Akram, Aquib Javed, Waqar Younis and Saqlain.

With Pakistan having also won the first one-dayer, the last match on Sunday holds only academic interest.

Malik, essentially an off-spinner with a previous best of 44 in 20 matches, revelled in the number four position to strike nine boundaries and a six in his career-best knock.

The 23-year-old raced to his second fifty off just 35 deliveries before Pakistan were dismissed one over ahead of the scheduled 50.

Malik put on 73 for the fifth wicket with Naved Latif (45) and then a blistering 62 off 52 balls for the sixth with Razzaq.

Razzaq, whose scored a match-winning 46 on Thursday, returned to smash 30 off 26 balls, including two sixes in one over of Collymore.

Inzamam-ul Haq's decision to open the innings did not change his luck with the bat as he fell in the second over, caught at slip off Cameron Cuffy.

The other opener, Shahid Afridi, was dismissed in the next over, offering a tame return catch to Mervyn Dillon.

From 7-2 Pakistan took the score to 43 when Cuffy trapped in-form Younis Khan leg-before for 18 in the 14th over.

Three overs later, Yousuf Youhana fell in similar fashion to Collymore for one, paving the way for the fightback between Malik and Naved Latif.