Yousuf helps Pakistan cement lead over WIndies

LAHORE, Nov 13 (Reuters) Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf rode his luck to progress to 163 and give his team a commanding lead of 190 runs against the West Indies at lunch on day three of the first test today.

Yousuf, resuming on 107, made the visitors pay for dropping him again on 114 runs as he and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal (61) took Pakistan to 396 for six.

The two put on an undefeated 111 runs from 174 balls after Pakistan lost Shoaib Malik (69) and Abdul Razzaq (5) early to impressive fast bowler Jerome Taylor (four for 92).

Skipper Brian Lara failed to get his hands under the ball in the third over of the morning after luckless pacer Corey Collymore finally got Yousuf to edge to second slip.

Yousuf also survived two dropped chances on 43 and 101 on the second day, and was lucky not to be given out stumped off Dave Mohammad as he completed his 20th test hundred and sixth this year.

Yousuf batted patiently, moving to his 150 from 271 balls with 19 boundaries.

He scored his first run of the day after 28 minutes as Taylor and Collymore bowled incisively with the second new ball keeping things tight on a low bounced pitch.

Taylor was driven and then flicked for two successive boundaries in his first over by Malik, before he holed out to Mohammad at short mid-wicket.

Malik hit 10 fours and one six from 155 balls, and four overs later Taylor had Razzaq edge to keeper Denesh Ramdin to reduce the home side to 285 for six.

Akmal scored his fourth test half-century from 84 balls with eight fours.

Reuters PM GC1349