ST JOHN’S – A brutal half-century from Danza Hyatt helped West Indies “A” sweep their Twenty20 series against Pakistan “A” 2-0, when they won the second match by five wickets on Saturday night.
Hyatt struck five fours and three sixes in 72 from 48 balls, as West Indies “A”, chasing a modest 118 for victory, reached their target with 18 balls to spare at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
Hyatt added 79 – unbroken – for the sixth wicket with Ashley Nurse to take West Indies “A” over the threshold, after they ran into trouble on 39 for five in the 11th over.
Hyatt, who made a top score of 39 the previous evening in the Windies’ “A” super-over win, continued with another mature innings as he took the lead in the partnership with Nurse who played with a cool head for 19 from 15 balls with one six.
Pakistani pacer Muhammad Rameez took two wickets [Andre Fletcher for five and Kirk Edwards for two] while the visiting side’s most impressive bowler Junaid Khan bagged two more [Miles Bascombe for nine and Jonathan Foo for a first ball duck] to leave the Windies “A” in a hole at 31 for four.
Earlier, purposeful bowling from West Indies “A” had restricted the Pakistanis to 117 for seven, with Umair Khan hitting the top score of 33, Yasir Arafat making 24, and Sarfraz Ahmed not out on 21.
Nikita Miller finished with the flattering figures of two wickets for eight runs from his allotted four overs, and compatriot Krishmar Santokie ended with two for 24 from three overs.
West Indies “A” were wobbled, when Mohammad Rameez and Junaid Khan snared two wickets apiece to flatten the home team’s top-order.
No West Indies “A” batsman other than Hyatt passed 20, and Nurse’s 19 not out was the only other double-figure contribution.
The two sides now contest three One-day matches in Grenada tomorrow, Thursday and Sunday. (CMC)