Chris Gayle plays a stroke on the way to scoring 50 in the Windies' second innings yesterday.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC:
FAST BOWLER Fidel Edwards showed a welcome return to form with a five-wicket haul as West Indies took command of the first Digicel Test against Pakistan after the second day at Kensington Oval yesterday.
Bowling with sustained pace and accuracy, the 23-year-old Edwards put Pakistan under pressure from the day's very first over when he removed Shahid Afridi.
He went on to capture five for 38 off 14 overs - his third five-wicket return in 17 Tests - as Pakistan were fired out for 144 in 43.4 overs responding to a first innings total of 345.
Seamers Corey Collymore and Reon King gave vital support to finish with three for 20 and two for 46 respectively.
West Indies were 168 for four in their second innings at the close - an overall lead of 369 - with three days left.
At the crease were captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 37 and Wavell Hinds 14.
POTENTIAL CRISIS
First innings century-maker Brian Lara and Chanderpaul again had to lift the West Indies from a potential crisis at 65 for three. The pair added 72 in 16.3 overs before Lara was stumped off leg-spinner Afridi for 48 with television replays needed to confirm the decision. He faced 52 balls and hit five boundaries and a six.
Chris Gayle made an even half-century in 75 minutes off 56 balls with six boundaries but his opening partner Devon Smith again failed, edging medium fast bowler Abdul Razzaq to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal after scoring just 10 in a stand of 59.
Ramnaresh Sarwan, too, picked up his second failure of the match, snicking a cut off Afridi to the 'keeper after scoring one.
The pitch continues to play well but Pakistan, who went into the match without two key batsmen in appointed captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, who is serving a one-match ban for over appealing in the previous series against India, and Yousuf Youhana, who returned home on Thursday because his father is ill, will be hard pressed to avoid defeat on a ground where they have been beaten twice and are yet to win in five previous Test encounters.
Pakistan suffered an early setback when the usually aggressive Shahid Afridi fell to the day's third ball, edging an outswinger to third slip in Smith after adding four to his overnight score of 12.
Left-hander Salman Butt, who started the day on five, and Yasir Hameed, both managed to find the boundary a couple times
with an attacking field against Edwards and Daren Powell.
STEADY TREK
The pair managed to put together 28 in eight overs, which turned out to the best partnership of the innings before there was a steady trek to and from the pavilion.
Trying to force Edwards off the back foot in the bowler's fifth over of the day, Hameed was bowled off the inside edge for 12.
Collymore struck in his third over after taking over from Powell. Operating over the wicket, he induced Salman into a drive and he edged a regulation catch to wicket-keeper Courtney Browne.
Debutant Bazid Khan (nine) was another Collymore victim, caught at the wicket off the inside edge just before lunch after he struggled for 35 minutes for nine.
Four balls after the break and without addition, Kamal sliced a drive to gully and Sarwan took a splendid, low catch with relief.
And in the next over, Younis, who topscored with 31, pulled a short ball from Edwards to mid-on where Collymore took a good, running catch to his left.
The high standard of the West Indies catching was further emphasised when Hinds leapt at point to haul end a wonderful catch over his head from a cut by Akmal off King.
Edwards grabbed his fourth scalp, having all-rounder Razzaq leg before wicket on the back foot with one which appeared heading down the leg-side but English umpire David Shepherd quickly gave the decision.
Shabbir Ahmed had his leg stump knocked out as he slogged at Edwards and after a couple of lusty blows which brought him three boundaries in 17, Rana edged a drive off Collymore to Sarwan at fourth slip.
SCOREBOARD
WEST INDIES Ist Innings 345
(B. Lara 130, S. Chanderpaul 92; Abdul Razzaq 3-58, Shabbir Ahmed 3-66, Danish Kaneria 3-114).
PAKISTAN Ist Innings
Salman Butt c wk Browne b Collymore 27
Shahid Afridi c Smith b Edwards 16
Yasir Hameed b Edwards 12
Younis Khan c Collymore b Edwards 31
Bazid Khan c wk Browne b Collymore 9
Asim Kamal c Sarwan b King 0
Abdul Razzaq lbw b Edwards 10
+Kamran Akmal c Hinds b King 4
R Naved-ul-Hasan c Sarwan b Collymore 17
Shabbir Ahmed c Sarwan b Collymore 6
Danish Kaneria not out 4
Extras (b4, nb4) 8
TOTAL (all out, 43.4 overs) 144
Wks fell at: 1-26, 2-54, 3-76, 4-96, 5-96, 6-100, 7-113, 8-120, 9-132.
Bowling: Edwards 14-1-38-5, Powell 10-4-36-0 (nb1), King 11-1-46-2 (nb3),
Collymore 8.4-3-20-3.
WEST INDIES 2nd Innings
C. Gayle c Kamal b Kaneria 50
D. Smith c wk Akmal b Razzaq 10
R. Sarwan c wk Akmal b Aridi 1
B. Lara st Akmal b Afridi 48
S. Chanderpaul not out 37
W. Hinds not out 14
Extras (lb5, nb3) 8
TOTAL (4 wks, 46 overs) 168
Wks fell at: 1-59, 2-64, 3-65, 4-137.
Bowling: Naved-ul-Hasan 11-4-36-0, Shabbit 7-2-18-0 (nb1), Kaneria
12-0-55-1, Razzaq 9-1-28-1, Afridi 7-1-26-2 (nb2).
Position: West Indies lead overall by 369 runs with six wickets standing.
Umpires: David Shepherd (England), Darryl Hair (Australia).
Match referee: Rashan Madugalle.
