West Indies heading for defeat after triple blow

KARACHI, Dec 1 (Reuters) Pakistan are well on course for victory in the third and final test against West Indies today after reducing the tourists to 144 for four wickets at lunch, still 300 runs short of an unlikely winning target.

A win would give Pakistan a 2-0 series triumph after they recorded a nine-wicket victory in the opening match in Lahore.

Resuming on 39-2, West Indies had advance to 97 before they lost the key wicket of skipper Brian Lara (49) and than Ramnaresh Sarwan (35) to an injury in the space of 18 balls.

Runako Morton (16) was then caught and bowled by leg-spinner Danish Kaneria after clobbering him for two fours and a six in his previous over.

Yesterday, Pakistan took complete control of the contest thanks to centuries from opener Mohammad Hafeez and scoring-machine Mohammad Yousuf, who notched his ninth hundred of the year while setting a record for most runs in a calendar year, 1,788.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (18) and Dwayne Bravo (six) faced a few anxious overs before surviving until the lunch break, paceman Umar Gul troubling them with his slower deliveries and reverse swing.

Lara and Sarwan had looked comfortable in a valuable 80-run stand and the West Indies captain was in sublime form, playing some beautiful drives as he progressed to 49 from 92 balls with the help of nine fours.

On 97-2, play was halted for five minutes due to a sightscreen fault and with the first ball after the resumption, Gul had Lara caught by Shoaib Malik in the covers as he failed to check his drive and played uppishly.

Seventeen balls later, Gul floored Sarwan with a vicious inswinging yorker that slammed into his foot and the batsman was forced to retire with his team reeling on 101-3.

Morton should then have been run-out from the first ball he faced as he played it straight to Abdul Razzaq at wide mid-wicket and set off for a suicidal single.

However, a poor throw allowed him to scramble safely into his crease.

REUTERS PM DS1357