Lewis spurs life into West Indies, keeps series alive

Port-of-Spain (Trinidad): Opener Evin Lewis scorched Pakistan for 91 as the West Indies finally neutralised newcomer Shadab Khan and won the third Twenty20 on Saturday. Pakistan, electing to bat first, squandered a good partnership between Kamran Akmal and Babar Azam to score an underwhelming 137 for 8. Lewis, who'd scored 10 and 3 in the first two losses, led the chase with 91 off 51 balls, falling two balls from the end as West Indies reached the target in the 15th over. Khan, the teen legspinner who'd mesmerised the West Indies in the first two matches, was run over by Lewis like the rest of the bowlers. Khan conceded six in his first over, seven in his second, and was smacked for two sixes by Lewis in his third. In Khan's fourth and final over, Lewis hit him for six but was out two balls later, caught at long off. Lewis smashed nine sixes and five boundaries. The next ball, new batsman Lendl Simmons hit the winning boundary. Lewis dominated a second-wicket partnership of 56 with Marlon Samuels (18), and 76 with the recalled Jason Mohammed (17 not out). Lewis and Samuels got the fightback going from the fourth over, when they took 11 runs. Lewis plundered 18 off medium-fast bowler Sohail Tanvir in the penultimate over. Pakistan was unchanged after winning the first two T20s but started badly. Ahmed Shehzad, last seen taken off on a stretcher with his neck in a brace on Thursday, was cleared to play but he was out in the second ball of the match, charging and missing West Indies legspinner Samuel Badree. In the same opening over, Imad Wasim was stumped for a duck. Akaml and Azam fought back well with a partnership worth 88 runs, until Akmal was caught on the midwicket boundary off Marlon Samuels. He made 48 off 37 balls, including two sixes. Azam was on 34 at the time. He hit his first six then was out straight after for 43 off 38 balls, bowled by Sunil Narine in the 16th over. Pakistan slumped. Only one more ball was sent past the boundary. The fourth and last T20 is on Sunday at the same ground.