MULTAN: Spin-heavy Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat in the first Test against the West Indies on Friday.
Heavy fog delayed the start of the Test match between the two bottom-placed teams of the World Test Championship before Pakistan captain Shan Masood won the coin toss after lunch and opted to bat on a dry wicket tailor-made for spinners.
Pakistan is at No. 8 and West Indies is at No. 9 on the WTC points table after performing under-par over the last one year in red-ball cricket. Australia and South Africa have already qualified for June 11-15 WTC final at Lord’s.
Pakistan has lost eight of its last 10 Test matches while West Indies has yet to win a Test series in this WTC cycle, losing to India, England and South Africa while drawing against Australia and Bangladesh.
One of the two Pakistan wins came at the Multan Cricket Stadium and on the same pitch when it beat England on an engineered dry wicket to favor the spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali.
Khan and Ali grabbed all 20 England wickets and will team up with recalled leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed to challenge the West Indies on another tailor-made spin wicket.
A spin-heavy Pakistan playing XI includes debutant Mohammad Hurraira, who scored half centuries in both innings of a three-day warm-up game against West Indies in Islamabad.
The 22-year-old Hurraira came in place of Saim Ayub, who has been ruled out of competitive cricket for at least six weeks after fracturing his right ankle during a Test match against South Africa at Cape Town earlier this month.
West Indies has dropped vice-captain Joshua Da Silva and will also be without ill fast bowler Kemar Roach.
The tourists awarded Test debut to 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Tevin Imlach, who has scored 1097 runs in 22 games since making his first class debut in Dec. 2018.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite said he would have liked to bat too on a dry pitch, but expected his bowlers to build dot-ball pressure with their disciplined line and lengths.
LINEUPS
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Mohammad Hurraira, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Khurram Shahzad.
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Kevin Sinclair, Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach, Gudakesh Motie, Jomel Warrican, Jayden Seales.
Pakistan win toss, elect to bat in 1st Test against West Indies
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Pakistan win toss, elect to bat in 1st Test against West Indies
- A spin-heavy Pakistan playing XI includes debutant Mohammad Hurraira, who scored half centuries in both innings of a three-day warm-up game against West Indies
- The tourists awarded Test debut to 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Tevin Imlach, who has scored 1097 runs in 22 games since making his first-class debut in Dec. 2018
Pineau leads by 1 as Vecchi Fossa stars at Hilton Classic in Tangier
- Leaders hit a 2-under-par 70 in what proved arguably the most challenging conditions of the MENA Golf Tour season so far
TANGIER: France’s Pierre Pineau holds a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Hilton Classic at Al-Houara Golf Club in Tangier after battling to a two-under-par 70 in arguably the most challenging conditions of the MENA Golf Tour season so far.
Italy’s Jacopo Vecchi Fossa produced a stunning six-under 66 to storm into contention despite the torrential afternoon rain.
Pineau, who began the day on three-under par, made four birdies against two bogeys to move to five under overall and head a congested leaderboard.
He navigated the morning conditions well enough, reaching the turn one-under for his round, before digging deep on the back nine as the weather deteriorated sharply.
“On the back nine I just fought as hard as I could,” Pineau said. “The rain was not so much about distance, it was more about the ball sliding on the face on chips and wedges. I have played in tough, changing weather before so I felt comfortable adapting.”
“It would mean a lot to win because I have struggled over the last 12 months, so it would be a big boost of confidence,” he added. “After today my confidence is in a good place.”
Three players share second place on four-under par. England’s Curtis Knipes carded a composed 71, making birdies at the ninth, 13th and 15th to offset bogeys at the first and 17th and maintain his challenge.
Pakistan’s Aadam Syed also signed for a 71, his four birdies countered by three dropped shots in a battling round he described as a constant test of patience.
“It was a real battle out there today,” Syed said. “Yesterday was windy but it eased over the last six holes and you could start firing at flags. Today it was constant all day, so patience was key.”
Syed, who had his father on the bag, is chasing a first title. “To win on the MENA Golf Tour would mean a great deal,” he said. “I have not won as a professional yet, so to tick that off would be huge and would confirm to myself that I am good enough.”
The third member of the second-place trio was the story of the day. Fossa, who started on the first tee, produced a flawless six-under 66, featuring four birdies and an eagle at the 10th, all without a bogey despite the increasingly brutal afternoon conditions.
“Honestly, I don’t really know how I did it,” Vecchi Fossa said. “On the back nine it was rain and wind the whole way and I was hitting hybrid and three wood into par fours straight into the wind. It was crazy out there.
“The hardest part was gripping the club with so much water, but I managed to hit a lot of fairways and the putts went in, which made the difference.”
France’s Andoni Etchenique and overnight leader Aron Zemmer, who slipped back with a two-over 74, share fifth place on three-under par.
Ireland’s Alex Maguire, the round one co-leader, dropped two shots to sit at two under with New Zealand’s Luke Kidd and Ireland’s Paul McBride in a tie for seventh.
Ayoub Lguirati remains the highest-placed Moroccan heading into the final round, the home favorite signing for a 74 to sit on two-over par in a share of 20th place, with compatriots Ayoub Ssouadi and Issam Nakrou also making the cut.
The final round of the Hilton Classic gets underway on Wednesday, with the $100,000 prize fund and Official World Golf Ranking points on the line.
