Pakistan 4-189 (Mohammad Hafeez 59, Misbah-ul-Haq 53*, Kemar Roach 1-33) beat West Indies 7-261 (Marlon Samuels 106*, Lendl Simmons 46, Mohammad Irfan 2-60) by six wickets (Duckworth/Lewis method)

The top order batting of Pakistan clicked for the first time during the series and that resulted in an easy win against the hosts, West Indies, at St Lucia.

The game was interrupted by rain and was restricted to 49 overs and the Windies powered 261 runs for the loss of seven wickets. The Green Shirts were given a revised task of 189 runs from 31 overs and they achieved that with one over to spare and six wickets still in hand.

Marlon Samuels (West Indies) was declared ‘Player of the match’ for his majestic unbeaten knock of 106 from 104 deliveries.

The fourth One Day International of the five match series was played at Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia.

Earlier, Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss for Pakistan and put the Windies into bat on a rain affected park. The hosts lost the first wicket at 20 in 6.3 overs as Johnson Charles and Darren Bravo put their heads down. They got 12 runs in the 10^th over with 2 fours from Charles and Bravo was gone at 50 after scoring 9 runs. Charles became the next victim after the addition of 13 runs to the total when Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle tried to consolidate the innings. The latter was dropped at 0 by Mohammad Hafeez at first slip off Wahab Riaz and the batsman hit 3 fours in the coming overs. Shahid Afridi was punished by the two batsmen for 13 runs with 2 sixes and Chris Gayle was gone for 30.

The fourth wicket fell at 120 in 28.6 overs as Lendl Simmons took guards at the wicket. The run rate was picked up by the pair with the assistance of continuous boundaries and Marlon Samuels reached his fifty in the 38^th over. The rival bowlers were unable to stop the invasion of the batsmen in the center as the second hundred of the innings appeared on board in the 42^nd over. the fifth wicket partnership was dismantled at 215 after 43.5 overs when Lendl Simmons was clean bowled by Saeed Ajmal for 46 off 44 balls with 1 six and 5 fours. Marlon Samuels took charge and smashed his 6^th ODI hundred in the final over. He remained unbeaten for 106 off just 104 deliveries comprising 4 giant Sixes and 9 fours as the Caribbeans hammered 261 with three wickets still in hand after utilising 49 overs.

Mohammad Irfan was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets whereas Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz, Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal shared one wicket each.

Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad started the chase for Pakistan by scoring 20 runs in 4 overs. Shehzad was declared leg before wicket off Jason Holder even after a review for 14 on the first ball of the following over. Mohammad Hafeez joined in next with Nasir Jamshed and they accumulated 14 runs in the sixth over with 3 fours. They were batting smoothly when there was a mix up between the two and Nasir jamshed was run out for 22 as the score reached 60 in 14.2 overs. Misbah-ul-Haq got together with Mohammad Hafeez and took the score to 68 in 17 overs as rain delayed the match again.

The tourists got a revised target of 189 from 31 overs as their skipper hit 2 fours in the 19^th over. Mohammad Hafeez dispatched a couple of lofty sixes to Jason Holder two overs later and achieved his 17^th ODI half century in the 22^nd over. He was caught behind by Darren Bravo at backward point off Kemar Roach for 59 from 62 with 2 sixes and 5 fours. The third wicket fell at 132 and Shahid Afridi went back to the pavilion 12 runs later for just seven runs.

Umar Akmal walked in next as the Green Shirts required 38 runs from the last 30 balls. Misbah-ul-Haq blasted his 28^th ODI fifty with a six and the target was further reduced to 15 off 12 deliveries. Umar Akmal hit 3 back to back fours on the next three balls of the Windies captain, Dwayne Bravo and got the winning run on the sixth delivery. Misbah-ul-Haq occupied his crease for 53 off 43 with 1 six and 3 fours, Umar Akmal was at the other end at 29 from just 18 balls with 4 fours when the visitors punched 189 for the loss of four wickets in 30 overs.

Jason Holder, Kemar Roach and Dwayne Bravo were the only successful bowlers with one wicket each.

Pakistan grasped the encounter with a big margin of six wickets and leads the series 2-0. The fifth and final ODI will be played at the same venue on July 24, 2013.