West Indies beat Pakistan by 54 runs in the opening match of the 2007 World Cup at Sabina Park here on Tuesday.

Brief scores:
West Indies 241-9 in 50 overs (Marlon Samuels 63, Ramnaresh Sarwan 49, Brian Lara 37, Dwayne Smith 32; Rao Iftikhar 3-44, Umar Gul 2-38, Mohammad Hafeez 2-39)

Pakistan 187 all out in 47.2 overs (Shoaib Malik 62, Mohammad Yousuf 37, Inzamam-ul-Haq 36; Dwayne Smith 3-36, Dwayne Bravo 3-42, Daren Powell 2-42).

Full report follows.

-----West Indies Innings------

Pakistan were set 242 to win by West Indies in the opening match of the 2007 World Cup at Sabina Park here on Tuesday.

After keeping the hosts on a tight rein for most of the innings, Pakistan bled late runs after they won the toss and chose to field with a hard, true pitch rolled out.

Several batsmen got starts, but Marlon Samuels was the only one that passed 50. He struck five fours and three sixes in the top score of 63 off 68 balls.

Captain Brian Lara, vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, and Dwayne Smith all played crucial knocks along the way to beef up the West Indies' total.

West Indies were set back early when Chris Gayle was caught behind for two off Umar Gul in the third over.

Sarwan came to the wicket, and was dropped first ball, when Younis Khan failed to hold onto his top-edged cut.

The nerves of the West Indies vice-captain settled, and he prospered hitting a couple of rasping off-side strokes off Rana Naved-ul-Hasan to lift his confidence.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul was quietly playing the anchor role before Iftikhar Anjum struck to have him caught behind for 19 in the 20th over.

Iftikhar struck another important blow, when Sarwan drove off the back-foot at a widish delivery and was caught at second slip - this time Younis holding on.

This meant Lara joined Samuels at the wicket with West Indies on 77 for three in the 25th over, and the two batsmen put on 91 for the fourth wicket to revive the innings.

Samuels played some enterprising strokes.

He totally dismissed the threat of Danish Kaneria with an over in which he struck the leg-spin bowler for two sixes and a four.

At this stage, Lara was a mere passenger, and he was overshadowed by Samuels before he was caught behind off Mohammad Hafeez for 37 in the 42nd over.

Hafeez also had Samuels caught at long-on in the 44th over to leave West Indies 181 for five and a little unsteady.

Dwayne Smith quickly eradicated the instability with a quickfire 32 from 15 balls, hitting a couple of huge sixes off Hafeez and Iftikhar before he was caught at mid-on in the penultimate over.

This left Dwayne Bravo and the bowlers to get West Indies a competitive total, and Corey Collymore brought things to an exciting conclusion, when swatted Iftikhar for a six over long-on.

Pakistan have never beaten West Indies in a one-day International at Sabina Park.

------Earlier------
To a cacophony of noise from a half-full Sabina Park, Umar Gul ran in to deliver the first ball of the 2007 World Cup to Chris Gayle here on Tuesday.

After nine years of planning, construction and setbacks, the Pakistani fast bowler got the 16-team tournament underway at 1430GMT with the first ball delivered to West Indies opener Gayle.

Under sunny skies, the enhanced stadium welcomed a steady stream of spectators, wearing all colours, waving flags, with painted faces, and all the paraphenalia to get them through what many hope will be a compelling day of cricket.

The two teams arrived at the ground just before 1300 GMT and were greeted to loud cheers as they emerged onto the outfield from the new players' dressing room on the northern end of the ground.

After Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq called correctly at the toss and then chose to field, there was a presentation of momentos to the surviving members of the World Cup-winning West Indies teams of 1975 and 1979 West Indies.

Clive Lloyd, captain of those two teams and now manager of the present side, was overcome by emotion and described it as "a special moment".

Gayle then became the first wicket to fall at the 2007 World Cup when he was dismissed off the second ball of the third over.

Gayle edged Gul to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal for just two with the total on seven.

New batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan was then dropped first ball by Younis Khan in the slips, also off Gul.

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Pakistan won the toss and elected to field in the opening World Cup Group D match against West Indies at Sabina Park here on Tuesday;

West Indies:
C Gayle, S Chanderpaul, R Sarwan, M Samuels, B Lara (capt), D Bravo, D Smith, D Ramdin, J Taylor, D Powell, C Collymore

Pakistan
Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Naved-ul-Hasan, Iftikhar Anjum, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria

Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL) and Simon Taufel (AUS), TV Replays: Brian Jerling (RSA), Reserve: Ian Gould (ENG).

Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG).

Weather: Variable clouds with scattered showers. High 31 degrees Centigrade (88 Farenheit). Winds - East North East at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain: 30%.

Pitch: Typically hard and bouncy.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)