Pakistan crawl to strong position after lunch

KARACHI, Nov 29 (Reuters) Pakistan tightened their grip of the third and final test against the West Indies, despite making slow progress to reach the third day tea interval on 61 for one in their second innings today.

The hosts increased their lead to 105 runs after bowling out West Indies for 260 on the stroke of lunch for a first innings advantage of 44 runs.

Their only setback was the loss of opener Imran Farhat, who was caught behind off Daren Powell for a plodding 20 runs made from 71 balls.

Younis Khan, celebrating his 29th birthday, then came in and raised the tempo of the innings with successive fours in one Powell over to reach the break on 10 alongside Mohammad Hafeez (27).

The visiting bowlers kept a tight line and length on the slow and low track to restrict Pakistan to a run-rate of less than three an over in the second session.

Corey Collymore sent down seven overs for just five runs.

The home side's openers got off to a very slow start, adding just 11 runs from as many overs as Pakistan crawled along until Younis came in when Farhat fell with the total of 43 runs in the 23rd over.

Pakistan, who lead the series 1-0 after their nine-wicket win in the first test in Lahore, were frustrated in the morning by a defiant 44-run partnership between last wicket pair Denesh Ramdin and Collymore.

Ramdin was run out five minutes before the scheduled break after scoring his fourth fifty in his 15th test.

He nursed Collymore (eight not out) through the partnership, which came after Pakistan struck early blows to reduce the visitors to 216-9 from their overnight 191-6.

Ramdin, who batted for 95 balls and hit seven fours, was run out by a throw from Mohammad Yousuf from the deep.

Pakistan dismissed overnight batsman Daren Ganga in the fifth over of the day when he was caught behind off Abdul Razzaq for 81 to end his 326-minute innings from 221 balls.

After taking the second new ball, Umar Gul bowled Powell for one and Shahid Nazir also had Jerome Taylor caught behind to leave the visitors in trouble. Gul took four wickets.

REUTERS PDM VV1624