Pakistan clinch T20I series against West Indies

LAUDERHILL, Fla. (AP) — Saim Ayub posted a half-century in a 138-run opening stand with Sahibzada Farhan and then took a key wicket as Pakistan beat West Indies by 13 runs Sunday to clinch the Twenty20 cricket series 2-1.

Pakistan posted 189-4 and then bowled tightly enough to restrict West Indies to 176-6.

Pakistan’s opening partnership ended when Farhan was out for 74 runs in the 17th over, his 53-ball innings finishing when he hit a low full-toss from Shamar Joseph (1-57) directly to Shai Hope at long-off.

Ayub continued until the last ball of the penultimate over of Pakistan’s innings, when he hit a full ball from Jason Holder (1-34) to Sherfane Rutherford in the covers and was out for 66 from 49 deliveries.

West Indies raced to 33-0 after two overs in reply, taking 16 off the first over from Hasan Ali and 17 in the second from Mohammad Nawaz.

Haris Rauf slowed the run-rate in the third over, which only went for five runs, and then snared the first West Indies wicket when he had Jewel Andrew (24 from 15 deliveries) caught by Hasan Ali in the fifth over with the total at 44.

Alick Athanaze scored 60 from 40 deliveries, sharing further partnerships of 30 with Hope (7) and 36 with Rutherford until he mis-timed a fuller, faster delivery from Ayub and was caught at short thirdman. At that point, West Indies slipped to 110-3 in the 13th over.

Rutherford kept West Indies in the contest with 51 from 35 balls but his dismissal in the last over ended any chance of a comeback win.

The series was tied 1-1 going into the decider. Both teams travel to the Caribbean for a series of three one-day internationals.

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