Last-gasp Pakistan edge thriller

A brilliant 24 off just nine balls from Kamran Akmal saw Pakistan snatch a four-wicket win over West Indies in their first one-day match in Abu Dhabi.

Needing 17 off the last over, Akmal smashed two successive sixes off fast bowler Jerome Taylor before hitting the winning runs with one ball to spare.

West Indies skipper Chris Gayle had earlier scored a fine 113 as the tourists reached 294-9 from 50 overs.

Khurram Manzoor (69) and Shoaib Malik (66) also made valuable contributions.

Pakistan had looked on course for victory with Malik looking assured at the crease inside the final 10 overs.

But when the captain was dismissed by debutant fast bowler Lionel Baker in the 48th over with 33 runs till to go, momentum swung back in favour of the West Indies.

But Akmal - ably assisted by all-rounder Fawad Alam (26 not out) - maintained his composure, smashing his third ball for six before his two match-winning maximums in the final over.

Akmal's late heroics overshadowed Gayle's superb century, the first ever to be scored at the Zayed Stadium in the Emirate.

The West Indian skipper opted to bat after winning the toss and began tentatively with opening partner Sewnarine Chattergoon.

But the left-hander soon found his rhythm, reaching his half-century off just 36 balls, bringing up the landmark with two successive sixes off Umar Gul in the 10th over.

The openers had put on 125 before Chattergoon fell to Pakistan captain Shoaib in the 18th over.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (55) continued the onslaught, adding 73 for the second wicket as Gayle brought up his 17th one-day century off just 90 balls.

He added a further 13 runs to his score when he was caught at mid-wicket by Shahid Afridi off Gul, an innings which included five sixes and 11 boundaries.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (36) and Xavier Marshall (26) added useful runs before Gul (3-66) and Sohail Tanvir (3-42) ran through the lower middle order.

Openers Salman Butt and debutant Khurram gave Pakistan a solid foundation, reaching 64 from 15 overs before Butt (24) was bowled by Baker for his first international wicket.

Former captain Younus Khan put on 78 in a second-wicket partnership with Khurram, before another useful stand with Shoaib.

Baker added a second wicket when he had Younus caught for 56, but Shoaib maintained the momentum before Akmal's late hitting secured a dramatic victory.

The second one-dayer begins on 14 November.