WI battered

The West Indies seemed to have their latest oftheir rapid succession of One-Day Internationals sewn up after 30 overs here yesterday.

Weakened by the absence of their three injured bowlers, they were then hastily and clinically unstitched over the remainder of a match by a Pakistan team superior in allround depth, youthful talent and self-confidence.

They were eventually well-beaten by 44 runs, earning Pakistan the DMC Trophy following their 15-run triumph in the three-match series on Thursday.

It was the West Indies fourth loss of the five matches in the Toronto Cricket Festival after going down 2-1 to India in the preceding DMC Cup.

The Pakistani victory was constructed not by their tried and trusted stars but by two of the naturally gifted tyros who will make them such a formidable force in the first decade of the new millenium.

Reduced to 68 for four after 22 overs, with the loss of the experienced Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Aamer Sohail along with the young opener Wajitullah Wasti, a total of 170 seemed to be the realitic limit of Pakistans ambitions.

They possess, at present, not only some of the most exciting young cricketers on the planet but also some of the most intelligent.

Yousaf Youhanna, 25, less than two years in the international game, and Abdul Razzaq, a 19-year-old with exceptional all-round potential, turned things round with a partnership of 149.

They first sensibly steadied the faltering innings, undetered by the sluggish run rate of less than three an over after 30 overs before accelerating at such a lick that the last 14 overs yielded 122, the last ten exactly 100.

It was a new fifth-wicket record for Pakistan against the West Indies and only ended with Razzaqs run out for 55 in the final over, unsuccessfully attempting the second run to get his partner to his hundred.

Youhanna duly took the boundary next ball to reach the landmark, for the second time in Internationals, and he was unbeaten 104 off 114 balls with on the board 222 for five at the end. He was, obviously, Man-Of-The-Match.

Batting in purely orthodox fashion, without the slighest hint of a crosshaul or a head-in-the-air swipe, Youhannas last 50 was compiled off 25 balls with eight fours, along the ground in all directions.

Razzaqs 55 was made from 74 balls with the solitary six off the innings.

Merv Dillon conceded 20 off his last two overs, Hendy Bryan 39 off his last four, Chris Gayle 14 off his last, the 49th, and even Courtney Walsh went for 19 off his last two, giving up 13 off the last.

It wasnt that they bowled badly. They were simply taken apart by high-class batting and let down by fielding that wilted under the pressure and fell sharply from its high standards when Pakistan were struggling.

A target of 223 was a challenging task against the strong, well-balanced Pakistani bowling. It required a meaningful contribution or two from a couple of the leading West Indies batsmen.

None was forthcoming.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, back as opener, and Sherwin Campbell were cheaply out to careless strokes and Brian Lara, restoring himself to his accumtomed No. 4 position, only flattered to deceive for the biggest crowd of the tournament in the bright afternoon sunshine.

He lashed five exciting fours in 26 off 21 balls but was beaten by Saqlain Mushtaqs disguised straight back and lbw on the backfoot as the ball took pad then bat.

Ricardo Powell was quickly deceived by Razzaqs slower ball and lbw on the front foot to his fifth ball and it was left to Wavell Hinds, the tall left-hander in his third One-Day International, to play the innings that was needed from his seniors.

He made an accomplished 65 off 115 balls, with six fours, but long before he was eighth out, yorked by Wasim Akram in the 45th over, the outcome was all but settled. He shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 68 in 18 overs with his Jamaican captain, Jimmy Adams, that kept the West Indians in the stand interested but when Adams finally top-edged a sweep from the off-spinner Arshad Khan to short fine-leg, the resistance was over.

Saqlain kept twirling his magical leg breaks with an off-spin action past mystified bats. It must have been like this in England in 1950 when Sonny Ramadhin mesmerised Englands best, and worst, with his similar riddles.

The sun shone from a clear blue sky but it would have been in eclipse for all the tailenders made of Saqlain.

Without Corey Collymore, with a sore back, Reon King, a side strain, and Nehemiah Perry, still carrying the after-effects of his pulled hamstring in Singapore two weeks ago, Lara ambushed the opposing by using Chris Gayles off-spin with the new ball after Akram won the toss and batted for the second successive match.

It was a rare ploy that was rewarded with the key wicket of Saeed Anwar in the fifth over.

Bryan plucked out the off-stump of the other opener, Wajituallah Wasti, in the 15th over and Dillon dismissed Inzamam-ul-Haq in the 16th and Aamer Sohail in the 22nd.

It meant that all of Pakistan most experienced batsmen had gone with the innings nearly half-way through.

Backed by inspired fielding, with Campbell and Jimmy Adams outstanding within the circle and Dillon, runs slowed to a trickle.

At 88 for four after 30 overs, Pakistanis ambitions could have extended no much beyond a total of 170. Youhanna and Razzaq knew better.