Record breaker Yousuf leads Pakistan domination

KARACHI, Nov 30 (Reuters) Record breaking Mohammad Yousuf and opener Mohammad Hafeez both scored centuries to help Pakistan take complete control of the third and final test against the West Indies today.

Leading the three-match series 1-0, the home side reached the fourth day tea interval on 339 for three wickets, a lead of 383 runs.

In the morning session, Yousuf established a new record for test runs in a calendar year when he overtook the 1710 scored by West Indian Viv Richards and continued his record breaking form by making his ninth century of 2006.

His 113 not out is his second century of the test after he scored 102 in the first innings, giving him seven hundreds in eight tests against the West Indies.

The 32-year-old has now scored six hundreds in his last five tests, one century more than South Africa's Jacques Kallis, who made five hundreds in five matches.

Australian great Donald Bradman registered six hundreds in six consecutive matches.

The West Indian bowlers were also made to suffer by Hafeez, who brought up his second test hundred soon after lunch from 258 balls with 10 fours.

He was finally out for 104, caught behind by Denesh Ramdin off Jerome Taylor after batting for 414 minutes and putting on 149 runs from 262 balls with Yousuf for the third wicket.

Yousuf who resumed on 78 after lunch, reached his 23rd test hundred from 145 balls with 14 boundaries after being dropped on 68 by Daren Ganga off Ramnaresh Sarwan and on 87, when Taylor missed a caught and bowled chance.

By the tea interval, he had reached 1,777 runs for the year in 11 matches.

At the other end, Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq had made 31 not out from 49 balls with two fours and a six as the bowlers toiled on a slow pitch that offers no appreciable bounce.

On the first day of the match, Yousuf also broke the record for the most hundreds in a year, moving clear of Richards and Sri Lankan Aravinda de Silva when he scored his eighth century of 2006.

During the course of his innings, Yousuf also established a new record for the highest aggregate in a three-match series surpassing the previous best of 583 runs held by compatriot Zaheer Abbas since in a home series against India in 1978.

REUTERS PM KN1607