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West Indies 150 for 7 (Simmons 65, Bravo 42, Rehman 2-22) beat Pakistan 143 for 9 (Umar 41, Bishoo 4-17) by seven runs
It's just one match, that will fade into gloom by the end of the next, but West Indies began their latest New Era extraordinarily, beating Pakistan by seven runs in the first ever Twenty20 match between the teams.
Lendl Simmons made 65 to help West Indies set something spirited before Devendra Bishoo's four wickets brought them victory.
Such has been Ottis Gibson's extreme anxiety for regeneration after a disappointing World Cup campaign that five debutants were fielded. Critics, though, could point to a desire for greater control as much as freshness after a clutch of senior players was jettison from the squad.
That certainly seems to be the view held by Chris Gayle, the former captain, who vents his aggravation with Gibson and the WICB by combination Royal Challengers Bangalore and issuing a scornful assessment of both in a radio interview. The off-field wranglings conquered the build-up to the match and are likely to rumble on for some time to come but West Indies fans could at least enjoy a moment of on-field catharsis.
Such drama is familiar to Pakistan but of late they have been frighteningly stable. Their last game was a fervent spectacle against India in the World Cup semi-final against in Mohali, so they could be forgives for look a little underwhelmed by St Lucia.
Barely a smattering of viewers show up but those who did were treating to an entertaining opening from Simmons. Filling the huge hole left by Gayle's absence he broken 65 from 44 balls and shared a 99-run stand for the second wicket with a fluent Darren Bravo, who made 42. The pair struck 15 boundaries between them which proved critical as West Indies collapsed in familiar fashion after they were separated.
Luckily for them the bowlers, led by legspinner Bishoo, masked the errors in a lively display. The six no-balls and pointed to performance lacking polish but the pursue used a tiring pitch to good effect.
Darren Sammy ensures Pakistan's chase got off on the wrong foot as he had Mohammad Hafeez caught at fine leg for 3 before Ahmed Shehzad spoon Ravi Rampaul to mid-on for 12. Asad Shafiq in danger a revival with Umar Akmal before Bishoo intervenes with two wickets in his first over. Shafiq was brilliantly caught for 25 by Danza Hyatt diving forward from midwicket after looping a leading edge before Misbah-ul-Haq was dismiss for a duck tread on his stumps a ball later.
Even modest legspinners have proved powerful in 20-over cricket and Bishoo, who frightened on intercontinental debut in the World Cup, is better than that. Mixing his pace and flight satisfactorily he got his third wicket when Shahid Afridi scythed a cut to point for 12 to leave Pakistan's hopes completely with Umar.
Having reached a run-a-ball 41 Umar fell victim to his own misunderstanding. The previous delivery he had alerted the umpires to a no-ball caused by West Indies not having the required three men in the ring but, thinking the following ball was a free-hit, swung Rampaul to Marlon Samuels on the square-leg rope. Umar linger but the umpires this time knew better.
What should have been a doddle from there became fought with tension as Rampaul's no-ball-ridden last but one over cost 15 but Andre Russell held his spirit in the final over to seal victory.
The lacklustre showing from Pakistan's batsmen was in sharp disparity to Simmons and Bravo. Happy to use their feet, both were proficient against the pace and spin and used the small boundaries to good outcome. The 100 was crossed in the 13th over and at that stage West Indies looked set to post something really significant but a brand collapse puncture the optimism.
Bravo holed out long-on off Abdur Rehman before Simmons was run out by Samuels two overs later. Samuels, on his comeback after serving a two-match ban for supposed involvement with illegal bookmakers, endure a hot return as he laboured to 4 from 11 balls before running past a Saeed Ajmal doosra. Sammy follow quickly for 1 and it needed a last-over border to take the total past 150. Pakistan look to have the edge but Bishoo ensure otherwise.
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