20.3 109/0 Knocked behind square by Hafeez for another single. Four to win.
20.2 108/0 Another single to Akmal.
20.1 107/0 Top edged, short of fine leg! Hafeez escapes again. Six to win.
OVER 20: Pakistan 106/0 Hafeez 59* Akmal 42*
Akmal turns the last ball off his hip for four! I suppose the last point of contention is whether Akmal can reach his fifty. "Well done to the Green Army, especially to Boom-Boom Afridi," writes Tahira Saleem. "That’s the way the cookie crumbles!" If by 'cookie' you mean the two-time winners West Indies, then yes.
19.5 102/0 Defended off the back foot. 11 to win off 181 balls.
19.4 102/0 Pushed off the front foot this time. Again no run.
19.3 102/0 Akmal defends off the back foot.
19.2 102/0 Three runs! Turned through mid-wicket by Hafeez. That brings up Pakistan's hundred, the hundred partnership, and they now need just 11 to win.
19.1 99/0 Rampaul continues. Dot ball to Hafeez.
OVER 19: Pakistan 99/0 Hafeez 56* Akmal 38*
After a break for drinks that the hapless West Indians barely deserve, Roach charges back in. The first ball's short, and Akmal top edges a hook over the keeper's head for four! Oh, West Indies. Bet you wish you'd missed your alarm call this morning, eh? Roach persists with the short ball tactic, and this time Akmal misjudges the pace and the ball hits him in the chest. Darren Sammy applauds - well, what else can he do? - as Akmal rubs his torso with a grimace. And that's the over. Fourteen to win. Shall I go ball by ball, just for hits and giggles?
OVER 18: Pakistan 95/0 Hafeez 56* Akmal 34*
Four! It wasn't a bad ball by Rampaul, but Hafeez simply judged the length and leaned on it, timing it sweetly through the covers for four. That brings up his fifty, off just 55 balls. Excellent knock. And again next ball! A little shorter from Rampaul, but the same clinical disdain by Hafeez, cracking it through the off-side for another boundary. Just 18 needed. George Osborne's now sat down, having commended his Budget to the House, all the strange old men have done their cheering and jeering, and now Ed Miliband, a man whose face appears to be composed entirely of wet tissues, is busily rebutting.
OVER 17: Pakistan 87/0 Hafeez 48* Akmal 34*
Roach returns, and just a single each to Hafeez and Akmal. Only 26 more to win, and it looks as though these two are just easing to their target now. Either that, or this is the pre-arranged mid-innings lull to keep their minders sweet. "He didn't just say that, did he?"
OVER 16: Pakistan 85/0 Hafeez 47* Akmal 33*
With Pakistan just 28 from victory, Rampaul comes back into the attack. It's a good over, finding a decent length that's hard to hit. Maiden, and West Indies edge closer to an unlikely victory. Osborne, meanwhile, cuts fuel duty by 1p a litre, while raising the tobacco duty rate by 2p above inflation. A good deal less smoking at petrol stations, then, which can only be a good thing.
OVER 15: Pakistan 85/0 Hafeez 47* Akmal 33*
Four runs off that Sammy over. By the way, if you do want to read an excellent live blog on the Budget, our Business folks will sort you out if you step this way. If, on the other hand, you prefer this hybrid of Budget, cricket and celebrity deaths - we're hearing Liz Taylor's the latest to go at the age of 79 - then stick with us. Osborne raises the personal tax allowance as Hafeez turns the ball around the corner for a single. I'm going to have to admit, I've never seen a film with Elizabeth Taylor, God rest her soul, in it. I managed to make it to about the fifth hour of Cleopatra before giving up. Still, a legend's a legend for a' that.
OVER 14: Pakistan 81/0 Hafeez 46* Akmal 30*
"What a brilliant performance from Pakistan," writes Usman Khan from London. "Hope they carry on in this fashion and achieve their target soon. Who would you like to see in the semis with Pakistan?" The winners of this quarter play either India or Australia. I know who the organisers and the telly top brass would like them to meet. You can't beat India v Pakistan in the World Cup semi-final, can you? Who'd call that one? Toss a coin. Throw a flare. Bishoo drops short again, and Hafeez late cuts it deliciously for four. A couple more singles, and Osborne rounds out the over by freezing council tax in every council in England. You may have noticed that my attention on the game in front of me is somewhat less than total.
OVER 13: Pakistan 75/0 Hafeez 41* Akmal 29*
In other news, George Osborne has announced a new levy on live blogs, in order to "arrest the proliferation of these keyboard hacks and lame-joke peddlers". Boo. Not in my name, Mr Osborne. Not in my name. Just two off Sammy's over, and Pakistan now need 38 off 37 overs for a place in the last four. Not even Fred Titmus, God rest his soul, bowling on a raging Madras turner with six men around the bat, could pull this game out of the bag.
OVER 12: Pakistan 73/0 Hafeez 40* Akmal 28*
Bishoo continues with the field set well back, as George Osborne announces funding for an extra 24 new university technical colleges. Hafeez turns him round the corner for a couple, before another rank short delivery that Hafeez can rock back and belt over mid-wicket for four. Top shot. Andre Mostert emails in: "£10 on the game finishing before the end of the Chancellor's speech. £5 on an Osborne no-ball in the 13th over." Hoo hoo! What japes we're having here on the Telegraph OBO!
OVER 11: Pakistan 66/0 Hafeez 34* Akmal 27*
"Every game's a final from now on," says Ian Botham of the rest of the tournament, which consists of three quarter-finals, two semi-finals and one final. Once again Sammy's first ball of the over is a shocker, down the leg side and Hafeez can simply glance it fine for four. A single out to deep cover, and then a pleasant flick off the thigh by Kamran, using the bottom hand to steer it in between mid-wicket and mid-on, and they get three more. Some sad news coming over the wires - Fred Titmus, the former Middlesex and England off-spinner, has died at the age of 78. He'd have bowled a fair few sides out on this pitch.
OVER 10: Pakistan 58/0 Hafeez 29* Akmal 24*
Hafeez goes aerial! He takes a big stride down the wicket and tries to lift Bishoo into next Tuesday, but doesn't quite get all of it. The ball drops a few yards inside the boundary and trickles towards the rope. Rampaul, running back from mid-off, produces some excellent footballing skills to stop the ball dead about an inch inside the boundary. The batsmen take three, and as the first Powerplay ends, Pakistan are more than halfway to their target. West Indies choose not to take the fielding Powerplay, and Sammy will continue.
OVER 9: Pakistan 55/0 Hafeez 26* Akmal 24*
Smash! Kamran cuts for four off the back foot, and that was a terrible delivery by Sammy. The skipper recovers his focus, though, and that boundary is the only scoring shot of the over.
OVER 8: Pakistan 51/0 Hafeez 26* Akmal 20*
Hafeez breaks the shackles! Short and wide and decidedly ropey from Bishoo - such is the lot of the leg spinner now and again - and Hafeez cuts him off the front foot, well in front of square, for four. There's a slip and a short extra cover in for Bishoo - we're still in Powerplay One, so there have to be two fielders in catching positions. And four more as Hafeez slashes the ball through the vacant short man region! Gayle at slip didn't have a chance.
OVER 7: Pakistan 43/0 Hafeez 18* Akmal 20*
Captain Sammy trundles in for a bowl, and shows that pace off the ball is definitely the way to go on this pitch. He's sort of early-80s operator, Sammy - in the Glenn McGrath rather than the UItravox sense - and Kamran can't get him off the square. Another maiden, and it looks like Pakistan have decided to play for stumps. Or something.
OVER 6: Pakistan 43/0 Hafeez 18* Akmal 20*
Just a couple of wickets, Windies. Salvage some pride before you all scoot back to your various islands, or the IPL, or whatever. Now, here's a change of pace, with Devendra Bishoo coming on to bowl some early leg-spin. Hafeez plays out a maiden. Just another 35 of those and we could have a game on our hands. I believe that's what's known in the television trade as "adding jeopardy". Didn't really work, did it?
OVER 5: Pakistan 43/0 Hafeez 18* Akmal 20*
Ah, that's a sweet, sweet shot by Kamran Akmal, standing tall and biffing the ball off the back foot, through the covers for four. When it's your day, it's your day, and Lord knows Kamran's due a day after a decent run of shockers. It's not often that Kamran Akmal doesn't look like the most incompetent player on whatever cricket field he's taken to, but there are eleven men in front of him today. And as if to prove the point, Devon Thomas drops Hafeez down the leg side! The ball flicks off Hafeez's glove and dies as it reaches Thomas, but he did get a glove under it. He just couldn't hold on. That's two drops in five overs, and Pakistan now need 70 off 45 overs. Snigger.
OVER 4: Pakistan 33/0 Hafeez 16* Akmal 12*
So afternoon, everyone, for what must be the shortest live blog shift in history. Just the three runs from that over, which is bowled by Rampaul and shows there's still a bit of nip out there for any bowler willing to strain some sinews in a frankly pointless cause. Hafeez forces off the back foot and gets two, but Roach, running round from third man and throwing out a forlorn right hand, does well to save two.
OVER 3: Pakistan 30/0 Hafeez 14* Akmal 11*
That's a dropped catch! Roach charges in, Akmal throws his arms at a short, wide one - and why not? - and it simply bursts through the hands of Pollard at point. Pollard's had a slight injury to his finger, and that won't help. The ball runs away for four. One chopped down to third man off the last ball of the over. No team has ever defended a total as low as this in a full one-day international. It's not going to happen today, either, by the looks of things.
OVER 2. Pakistan 25/0 Hafeez 14* Akmal 6*
Who needs Chris Gayle for some early fireworks. It's Kamran Akmal's turn as he whips Ravi Rampaul and cuts for four. Pakistan are in a hurry here. Then, on the last delivery, Hafeez clips Rampaul off his legs to the mid-wicket boundary for the fourth boundary.
OVER 1. Pakistan 11/0 Hafeez 10* Akmal 1*
Are we in Mirpur or Karachi? With Bangladesh out there is a quite fervent atmosphere as Pakistan muster 11 off the first over. Hafeez strikes two crisp fours: a lovely upper cut over point and then a serene drive past mid-on.
WEST INDIES ALL OUT FOR 112
OVER 44. Done. Rampaul bowled by Afridi who gets his fourth wicket, and West Indies are all out for 112.
WICKET! Rampaul b Afridi 0. Googly does him. Tries to sweep, but isn't remotely good enough unfortunately. Four more wickets for Afridi (who was cleverly transferred out of the Norrish fantasy team about three weeks ago) and Pakistan are in surely-they-can't-mess-this-up-from-here territory. Can they?
OVER 43. WI 111/9. Aww shame, Roach goes.
WICKET! Roach c Younis b Razzaq 16. Caught at short midwicket trying to hit Razzaq. He was trying to hit it straight, actually, but got it horribly wrong. Weight not fully committed, and that's pretty disappointing after a fair knock.
OVER 42. WI 111/8 Pakistani's intensity has dipped, no doubt about it, and they've put on 40 now this pair. Won't know until Pakistan have batted whether this pitch really is treacherous, but Roach's innings suggests not.
OVER 41. WI 107/8 Razzaq looks likely, really likely, against Roach, but there's just three singles from the over. Sticking in the pitch now. Crappy deck, to be honest, for a game like this. Also, I've finally turned the BBC commentary off. The Kiwi guy – I missed his name, actually – combined the warmth of Fred Trueman with the insight of Ian Botham. Truly awful. Anyone know who it was?
OVER 40. WI 104/8 Gul to Chanderpaul. One off the over. I need to create some kind of shorthand for the words 'one off the over.' So it's B2 from now on. Got it? Good. Wish I thought of that earlier.
OVER 39. WI 103/8 Roach looks good, mind. Hitting a lot in the middle of the bat, but picking out the fielders. Annoying wide from the Razzaq over, apart from that very tidy. Sun setting over Mirpur now. Long shadows over the pitch.
Stuart from Sweden has mailed saying that he thinks there is still life in this game, based on his highly-litigious beliefs about match-fixing which I won't repeat here. I won't tell you which team he was talking about either.
In other news, Mark Butcher has joined Twitter. Love Butch. Razzaq now to bowl to Chanderpaul. Razzaq's first over. There's still 11 overs to go, and a batting powerplay to take. Yes, amazingly, West Indies have managed this extraordinary haul WITHOUT using their batting powerplay yet.
OVER 38. WI 101/8 Gul's back to bowl to Chanderpaul. To all of you mailing to say that Pakistan are flaky enough to lose this, my question is this ... who's gonna do it? Who's gonna rip through the Pakistani's on a pitch like this? Roach? Sammy? Benn??? Lbw shout by Gul against Roach but it's down the leg side. Should probably have been a wide, actually.
OVER 37. WI 100/8 Roach edges wide of slip! Yep, that's right, there's a slip in on the 37th over. I'd probably have two in, if I were Afridi. And that's four! Cracking shot, whipped off his legs for four. And the hundred's up. Off 37 overs. Well done everyone.
OVER 36. WI 91/8 Hafeez is bowled out. 2/16 off 10.
OVER 35 WI 90/8 Three off the Riaz over. Weird kind of period now, neither team really pushing. Roach has knuckled down in support of Shiva who is still refusing to change gear. Good from Riaz though. Tight. Be a wonderful game against India wouldn't it?
OVER 34 WI 87/8 Hafeez is back on, replacing Ajmal. Three from the over. Chanderpaul 30 off 80. Roach 8 off 17. Run rate's not shifted north of 2.5 since the second over.
Craig Hunt mails to say: "I trust that WI will be out soon in order for me to do some work. This is more like my local women’s Sunday side rather than an international side." Haven't seen your local ladies, Craig, so can't comment. But if you're saying it's poxy, then yep, you're spot on.
OVER 33 WI 84/8 Riaz back on now, bowling to Roach. Nice, flowing, bouncy run into crease. Kemar gets a single with an edge down to third man. Any Windies fans out there? Would love your thoughts. Suspect you may have better things to be getting on with though. Understand, if so.
Usman Khattak says: "I think it would take an extraordinarily brilliant performance by Windies to win this from here. But as we all know every thing is possible in love, war and when Pakistan cricket team is playing."
Drinks are on. Have to be slightly worried by how close England came to losing against West Indies last week ...
OVER 32 WI 81/8 Missed stumping! That's more like it from Kakmal. He's still in there. Ajmal zips one past Shiva, who's out of his ground but the ball ends up on Kamran's chin, somehow. Anyone agree with Asif that Pakistan can still stuff it up from here? Let me know with a free and easy electronic mail
OVER 31 WI 80/8 Six off the Afridi over. Roach gets off the mark steering Afridi past point for four. "Hi Mike," writes Asif. Hello Asif. "As much as I'd like to think Pakistan can't lose from this position, my feelings are tempered by the knowledge that their capricious nature means they will probably be all out for 57."
OVER 30 WI 74/8. Maiden. Tail began when Gayle got out, didn't it? "This is a pathetic showing," mails Mark. Where is their mettle?"
OVER 29 WI 74/8. Right time to catch up a bit. Chanderpaul is still there, on 23 off 61. Ajmal has two for 16 and has bowled brilliantly – that dodgy-looking doosra may be, well, dodgy looking, but it's mighty effective. Afridi has 3 for 17. Kemar Roach is now in, on 0. They are used to pathetic battling collapses in Bangladesh, and this is worthy of the Tigers at their worst.
OVER 28 WI 71/8. Got any plans for this afternoon then? Lovely day out, might take a stroll. Five wickets for 13 runs in four overs.
WICKET! Sammy lbw b Ajmal 1. Done by the doosra. Trapped dead in front. Clueless was Sammy – could have gone first ball, but he's back on the crease third ball and has been done ALL ENDS UP. WI 71/7. And that looks very much like another.
WICKET! Bishoo b Ajmal 0 Through the gate. Excellent bowling, but this is worse than Canada. Have they left yet? Get them back!
OVER 27 WI 69/6. Truly one of the most pathetic performances you will ever see from an international side this. Ireland would never crumble like this. And not remotely what the tournament needs. Afridi bowling well again – aggressive and desperately hard to pick but West Indies look shell-shocked. They are playing like petrified little mice.
WICKET! Pollard c K Akmal b Afridi 1 WI 69/5. Caught behind trying to cut. Wasn't there to cut. Good catch from Ajmal (correct). Uh-oh. And another.
WICKET! Thomas lbw b Afridi 0. WI 69/6. First ball! lbw! Afridi on a hat-trick – one ball of the over left ... Sammy, WI captain, is in. Gets a single.
OVER 26 WI 67/4 Six for Chanderpaul! SIX FOR FREAKING CHANDERPAUL! Where did that come from? Slog sweeps Ajmal right out of the screws. Shot. Pollard knuckling down against Ajmal. This'll be interesting now – can Pollard finally deliver when it actually matters?
OVER 25 WI 60/4 Pollard's in then, and gets off the mark with a single.
WICKET! Sarwan goes! Sarwan c U Akmal b Afridi 24 (off 68) Afridi strikes, Sarwan is put out of his misery. Tried to cut Afridi but bloused it to point. Decent catch from Umar. Had to jump. Brother would've dropped it with gloves on.
OVER 24 WI 58/3 Three from the Ajmal over. If a catch goes up, I genuinely don't think Pakistan will go for it.
OVER 23 WI 55/3 Three from the Afridi over. Needing a coffee more and more urgently.
OVER 22 WI 52/3 Sarwan tries to sweep Ajmal but there's no timing. Tried to guide that fine but it's picked up by midwicket. Still, it's a single. Still have some ammo to come, obviously so clearly they have decided 200 is defendable and are just trying to keep the wickets in touch so Pollard, Sammy etc can tee off. The tactics are probably sound enough, but their execution – with the lack of singles and inability to rotate – has been dire. Sarwan 19 off 57. Shiva 13 off 50.
OVER 21. WI 50/3 And there's the 50! Take a bow. So 50 up in the 21st over. Have speeded up a touch then, now going at 2.38 runs an over. Looking good for 120?
OVER 20. WI 47/3. Three from the Ajmal over. Creeping up on that 50 now. That could be the catalyst. Get over that 50 landmark and then foot down all the way to 55 by the next drinks break.
OVER 19. WI 44/3 Sarwan dropped by Gul! Finally tries to inject some oomph into this bucolic wheeze of an innings but he cannot get much purchase on his lofted drive and Gul runs in from long off and gets too hands onto it but it's down. Tactical drop? Probably. The longer Pak can keep this pair out there and Pollard in the hutch the better their chances, you'd have to say.
OVER 18. WI 39/3 Ajmal replaces Hafeez, who doesn't bowl out. Slow deck, you have to say, but nothing like as turgid as Sarwan and Shiva are making it look. Great time for Ajmal to come on, you have to reckon, and there's just one from the over. I say 'just one from the over'. I should really say ONE FROM THE OVER!
OVER 17. WI 38/3 Afridi on, and there's a big shout against Sarwan – big shout but he's well down the track. And they've gone for the review! Lordy. Captain's review that one – only using that for his own figures. Never out. Stays with the on-field call even tho Hawk-Eye says hit. Afridi's started well, bustling in and it's a maiden. Gets away with a wide on off the last ball thanks to a well-placed leg gully who fields well and stops four. On the plus side, this is a particularly easy game to OBO ...
Usman Khattak says: Pakistan has an ideal start but we all know they have a habit of disappointing when they look slightly favourites. Would love to see an Indian v Pakistan in the semis. Me too, Usman – be a tad livelier than this, that's for sure. Self-assessment tax returns are livelier than this mind you.
OVER 16. WI 38/3 Single each and it's 38/3 off 16. Hafeez is going to bowl out by the look of things. Afridi coming on from the other end now. I know West Indies have a 'rebuilding' job but this is something else ...
OVER 15. WI 36/3 Riaz oversteps and that's a free hit for Chanderpaul. Exciting! He's goes hog-wild and helps himself to a single on the offside. Hardly bunga-bunga cricket, is it? 36/3 off 15. Time for drinks. Cocoa, probably.
Chanderpaul has 3* off 28.
OVER 14. WI 32/3 Maiden from Hafeez to Chanderpaul. Squeeze is back on. Hafeez 2/10 off seven. Useful that, from an opening bowler.
OVER 13 WI 32/3 Boundary! Holey moley. First one in fifty minutes. And four more! Great shot this time from Sarwan, driven stylishly on the up through the covers. Classy. Riaz goes around the wicket to try and cramp up sarwan's room outside off and angle it back into him, but he overcompensates and that's a leg-side wide. Sarwan 12 Shiva 2
This is bad, but what is the slowest one-day knock you've ever seen? Let me know here (And don't pretend you saw Gavaskar in 1975. I don't believe you)
OVER 12 WI 22/3 Runfest! Three off the over. And Chanderpaul is off the mark! 1 off 18. Moving through the gears ominously now ...
OVER 11 WI 19/3 Riaz replaces Gul. One from the over. "Sarwan is changing his bat" says Ian Bishop. Wasn't aware he had one out there. Five runs scored since the third over. Chanderpaul has 0 off 14. Here for a long time, not a good time, is Shiva ...
OVER 10 WI 18/3 This is some seriously slow going out there. And that's the powerplay done – 18 from it! Eight-teen! And that's another maiden. If they go at this pace they'll score 90 off their 50 overs. New Zealand remember – traditionally about as explosive as a wet flannel – scored 95 off five overs against this Pakistan side earlier in this tournament. Nuts.
OVER 9 WI 18/3 Mirpur's a low scoring ground, we should note. Average first innings score here (there) is 243. This is where England lost to Bangladesh, and it's very difficult to bowl with the dew etc later in the day. Gul continues to Sarwan – think Afridi might take him off shortly and save a bit for later. Done his job, already. Bowling really nicely though – immaculate control of length. Maiden. Gul: 1/11 off five.
OVER 8 WI 18/3 Big appeal for a stumping from Kakmal. Not out. And again, you get the feeling that. y'know, he's not going get many opportunities to appeal for anything so why the hell not. Just one from the Hafeez over. Windies romping through this powerplay at 2.2 runs an over.
OVER 7 WI 17/3 Gul back on then, and Windies just need a partnership from this pair. Clearly they thought they didn't need these crabby old stagers, Sarwan and Chanderpaul, but whaddayaknow, here they are again with their fire hoses after some distinctly garbage batting at the top of the order. Bravo's looked really good at this World Cup from what I've seen but that was not a good day for the young man.
OVER 6 WI 16/3 Oh dear.
WICKET! Smith lbw b Hafeez 7 Gone! Two down! Smith is trapped dead in front. Pitched on middle and spinning back enough to hit middle and leg. And another! Oh no, no no....
WICKET! Bravo lbw b Hafeez 0. WI 16/3. Same trick and Bravo, after two balls, is gone for a duck. This could be ugly. The right-arm off-spinner is bowling off a steady run from around the wicket, and the left-handers have got no idea, playing with bat and pad miles apart and both have been beaten by balls that have done not very much. Big clumsy prod forward from Bravo, no subtlety and two easy decisions for the ump. Chanderpaul in now. Double wicket maiden for Hafeez!
OVER 5: WI 16/1 Massive appeal from behind the wicket as Gul beats Sarwan's outside edge. Nothing shouty from Gul, but Kakmal is screaming behind the stumps. Probably just delighted he caught one. No review. Sarwan can't get Gul away and there's nothing loose to hit. Excellent start from Pakistan this after losing the toss.
OVER 4: WI 15/1 Sarwan in then to join Smith. Hafeez stays on despite looking like he was a silver bullet to get Gayle. Just a single off the over. Bit of a delay as Sarwan has damaged the bail doing that thing where he bunts it into the desk to mark his guard. Tsk. Sarwan came in as a down the order finisher against England on Friday and was left stranded as the six-or-bust merchants went a little bit mental.
OVER 3: WI 14/1 Smash! Gayle down the track to Gul and that's properly macho. Great intent. One bounce four. Flies over the head of mid-off who didn't shift. Good footwork from Gayle to back away slightly and give himself room to free his arms. but he's gone! Gayle goes!
WICKET. Gayle c Afridi b Gul 8. Gayle tried to repeat the trick and slapped a drive straight to Afridi. Predictable end, really, and not great for the game. Excellent start for Pakistan though, obviously. Gul leaps for Joy, Afridi looks like he's hurt his hand. Gayle looks like, well, he looks. Y'know, just whatever.
Asif writes: Hi Mike. Bearing in mind the total unpredictability of the Pakistani team, my predictions are either West Indies to win by 150 runs or Pakistan to win by 8 wickets. Looks more like 8 wickets now, you'd have to venture
OVER 2: WI 8/0. I'm listening to TMS today to try and get away from Pommie Mbwangwa, and who comes on the bloody wireless? That's right ... Tony Cozier. But Pommie's on with him, and although I'm sure he's a nice bloke he sounds like he's constantly doing an Austin Powers impression. Anyone else hear that? Hafeez, the offie, opens from the other end to Gayle. Ha ha, and there's what Gayle thinks of that move. Walloped over mid-on for four. Bit too full from Hafeez. Gayle pulls away as Hafeez is in – probably tired from that shot – but after catching his breath he sees out the over.
OVER 1: WI 4/0. Gul to Smith, and first ball's a garbage half-tracker that Smith slaps past point for four. Pah. Thought the garbage teams had gone home? Nice start for Smith though. Big appeal from Gul as he finds a better line. Fairly straight but probably just pitched outside the left-handers leg stump. Review? Nope. Bit of nibble off the pitch, and bit of variable bounce-age. Dire crowd by the way. Good comeback from Gul.
08.29: Henry Gayle positively sprinting to the crease. By that I mean brisk walk of course. Predictions to me here please ... has to be Pakistan for me, but the toss has certainly levelled things. Windies, remember, haven't won a proper ODI against a proper team since July 2009.
08.25: Blues skies in Mirpur. Anthem time ... and you've to say Pakistan have edged that one. Largely because it is a national anthem rather than some please-all token effort designed not to annoy Jamaicans/Barbadians etc ...
0819: Shahi Afridi: "Toss doesn't give any difference. We bowled first against Australia; we will carry on with the same attitude. All the boys know the importance of this competition. We are very positive and looking forward to this game."
Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal†, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi*, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal.
West Indies: DS Smith, CH Gayle, RR Sarwan, DM Bravo, KA Pollard, DC Thomas†, DJG Sammy*, D Bishoo, R Rampaul, S Chanderpaul, KAJ Roach
08.10: West Indies have won the toss and will..........bat! Gayle, Chanderpaul and Roach in for Edwards, Benn and Andre Russell. Saeed Ajmal plays for Pakistan.
08.00: Wake up! Don't you know there's a bloody World Cup on!
So after 42 games and five weeks we are finally at what I like to call the 'quarter-finals'. Pakistan v West Indies today, should be a cracker. Teams to come.
Required reading, and listening, and emails ...
Michael Vaughan previews today's quarter-final.
Geoffrey Boycott on the utterly pointless but mildly diverting marathon of matches which got us to this point.
And if you STILL haven't signed up for the Cricket World Cup Email yet then there's probably not much point now, to be honest. But if you're still up for it, well, y'know, up to you.
