Ali strikes as Windies crawl

Pakistan’s Azhar Ali sent Shai Hope packing for 29 on the final delivery of the afternoon session to reduce the West Indies to 152 for four at tea on the third day of the first Test at Windsor Park in Dominica yesterday, still 224 runs shy of their visitors’ first innings total of 376. Roston Chase is still at the crease on 41.
Earlier, leg-spinner Yasir Shah took all three wickets to restrict the West Indies to 97 for three at lunch in reply to the tourists’ first innings total of 376. On a pitch offering little encouragement for the faster bowlers, Shah’s role as both a stock bowler and premier wicket-taker were in evidence as he remained a perennial threat through an extended morning session in which he accounted for 11 of the 33 overs bowled.
Entrusted with the ball at the start of the day by captain Misbah-ul-Haq, the premier spinner did not disappoint, breaking a 43-run opening partnership between Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell. Attempting to heave a delivery over the midwicket fence, Powell’s miscued shot was well caught by Azhar Ali running in off the boundary to send the left-hander back to the pavilion for 31.
With Brathwaite plodding along in his usual stoic manner at the other end, new batsman Shimron Hetmyer sought to seize the initiative from the bowlers.
His intentions were clear when he hoisted Shah for the only six of the innings so far.
But the bowler exacted swift revenge as an original “not out” verdict by standing umpire Bruce Oxenford for an appeal for a leg-side catch by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed was overturned on review when television replays revealed a faint touch of the ball onto the batsman’s glove.
There was no doubt though to Ahmed’s second dismissal of the morning as Brathwaite, who had grafted his way to 29 off 123 deliveries through three-and-a-half hours, pushed forward to Shah in the last over before the interval and edged a catch high to the wicketkeeper’s right. Shah has now taken 20 wickets in the series.

Scoreboard
Pakistan 1st Innings 376 all out
West Indies 1st Innings (overnight 14 for 0)
K. Brathwaite c wkpr Ahmed b Shah 29
K. Powell c Ali b Shah 31
S. Hetmyer c wkpr Ahmed b Shah 17
S. Hope c Misbah b Azhar Ali 29
R. Chase not out 41
Extras (lb-2, nb-1, w-2) 5
Total (4 wkts, 72 overs) 152
Fall of wicket: 1-43 (Powell), 2-69 (Hetmyer), 3-97 (Brathwaite), 4-152 (Hope)
To bat: V. Singh, S. Dowrich, J. Holder, D. Bishoo, A. Joseph, S. Gabriel
Bowling: M. Amir 16-7-16-0 (1w), M. Abbas 15-4-28-0, Y. Shah 24-3-81-3, H. Ali 13-3-17-0 (1nb, 1w)), A. Ali 4-1-8-1