Pakistan overcame a blistering  spell from  Ravi Rampaul  and  some late panic against the  impressive  Devendra Bishoo  to  secure the series against West  Indies with a three-wicket  victory in Barbados. The hosts  had collapsed feebly once again,  but Pakistan were jolted by  Rampaul's four strikes and  needed the calm head of  Misbah-ul-Haq , who remained  cool as Bishoo threatened to  turn the game again. It became a more compelling  contest than looked likely  during another insipid batting  display from West Indies. Then  Pakistan again appeared to be  cruising at 127  for 4  after a  composed stand between Misbah  and Hammad Azam. However,  Bishoo benefited from some poor umpiring and hot-headed  strokes to leave them needing  24  when Wahab Riaz joined  Misbah, but there were  eventually 29  balls to spare as  Wahab launched two sixes in  four deliveries to hurry a  conclusion. Misbah was roundly criticised for Pakistan's World Cup semi-final  exit against India when his  poorly-paced innings proved  costly, but in this series he has  provided vital ballast in an  inexperienced order. Without  him here, Pakistan would have  lost. This was his third unbeaten score to secure a run chase -  although he could have been  stumped on 20  if part-time  keeper Lendl Simmons had  gloved the ball - and showed a  technique, and composure, that  was lacking among some of his  team-mates. Despite the early clatter of  wickets the required rate was  never an issue for Pakistan,  which allowed Misbah to bed in  and weather the tough passages while Rampaul was in action.  This tour started on the slow,  low pitch in St Lucia, where the  ball barely got above knee  height, but this Kensington  Oval surface had far more pace  and carry for the quick bowlers  who were willing to bend their  backs. Ahmed Shehzad, fresh from his  hundred three days ago, tried to pull Rampaul's first delivery and  top-edged to a back-tracking  Simmons and next delivery Asad  Shafiq edged to second slip;  suddenly the West Indian fans  started to find their voice.  Mohammad Hafeez was the next  to fall to another top-edged pull, which was well taken by Bishoo, running towards deep square- leg, to leave the visitors 12  for  3. Misbah's natural game is always  to cut out risk and bat time; for  Umar Akmal it is the opposite  and he took the aggressive  route. He struck five boundaries  in a 27- ball stay before being  undone by a wonderful delivery  that bounced and shaved the  glove as he tried to sway out of  the line. However, from there West Indies couldn't force another  breakthrough as Misbah  continued to be a steadying  presence. Azam, in his first ODI  innings, showed composure and  pulled a free hit from Andre  Russell for six. He also did well  to leave the crease so swiftly  after Asoka de Silva failed to  spot a huge inside edge when he gave an lbw decision in Bishoo's  favour - there is no DRS in this  series. Shahid Afridi's batting has  disintegrated and, after two  boundaries, it was predictable  when he attempted a slog over  midwicket. Mohammad Salman  then showed his inexperience by not running hard when he  thought the ball would reach  the boundary and was bowled by a flipper that he shouldn't have  been facing. Fortunately for  Salman it didn't cost the match. But while West Indies showed  spirit in the field their innings  followed a depressingly familiar  pattern as they lost 8  for 53  after Simmons and Darren Bravo had formed a solid platform with an 86- run stand. Once they  were separated, the innings  almost came to a stand-still and  soon fell in a heap amid a  mixture of prods, pokes and  hopeless slogs. Marlon Samuels, who is  struggling to adjust back to  international cricket, was again  culpable in the loss of  momentum as he took 35  balls  over his 18 , while Kirk Edwards  laboured until being run out by  a direct hit from backward point. Aside from Simmons, and to a  lesser extent Darren Bravo,  there is precious little  confidence in West Indies' line  up and it showed as the innings  faded away with Wahab taking  two in three balls. Devon Smith's horror trot  against Hafeez's offspin had  continued when he was trapped  lbw first ball, the third time in a row he had fallen in such  fashion. After reaching fifty from 61  balls Simmons had time to  double his score, but drove a  fraction too early and offered a  low chance to Saeed Ajmal who  took it well in his follow  through. The onus was on Darren Bravo  not to follow a similar path of  giving away a useful innings,  however, having struggled to  increase the tempo, he then  played across a full ball from  Hafeez as the stall kicked in. Any hopes of pushing past 200  vanished in the space of three  balls from Wahab as he had both Darren Sammy and Dwayne  Bravo caught at long on. A little bit of sensible batting and this  could have been West Indies'  match.
 
 
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