LAUDERHILL, Florida, (CMC) – Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub both struck half centuries to set up Pakistan’s 13-run victory over the West Indies and seal a 2-1 win in their T20I series on Sunday.

Player-of-the-Match Farhan scored 74, while Ayub made 66, to set the foundation for their side’s formidable total of 189 for four in 20 overs after they won the toss and chose to bat at Broward County Stadium.

Alick Athanaze and Sherfane Rutherford also hit half centuries for the West Indies, who at one point seemed on track for victory before losing the plot to end on 176 for six.
The result marked the seventh consecutive time, dating back to 2013, that Pakistan defeated the West Indies in a bilateral T20I series.
The last time West Indies emerged victorious in a T20I series over the South Asian country was in 2011.

Pakistan was given a dream start by Farhan and Ayub, with the two sharing an opening stand of 138, which frustrated the West Indies’ bowlers and gave them the perfect launching pad to post the highest total of the three-match series.

The pair started cautiously, with Farhan hitting the first boundary in the third over by slog sweeping Akeal Hosein for six.
They were solid if not spectacular, and by the end of the power play Pakistan was 47 without loss and West Indies wouldn’t have been too worried at the halfway mark having restricted them to 82.

Farhan was the first to his half century, which he brought up off 34 balls with a single to long on off Romario Shepherd.
Ayub then reached his milestone by clobbering Shepherd for a six and four off consecutive deliveries, followed by a single in the 13th over as Pakistan eased past the 100-run mark.
Shamar Joseph finally got the breakthrough for the West Indies when he had Farhan caught by Shai Hope at long off after he faced 53 balls and struck five sixes and three fours.
Ayub then added 20 runs in just nine balls with Hasan Nawaz, before the former was dismissed by Jason Holder to leave Pakistan 158 for two in the 18th over.
Pakistan finished the innings with a flourish by blasting 30 runs from the last two overs, with both Khushdil Sah, who finished unbeaten on 11 not out and Faheem Ashraf, who made 10 not out, hitting towering sixes.

West Indies got off to a blazing start in their run chase, with Jewel Andrew hitting Hasan Ali for three boundaries in the first over, while Athanaze thumped Mohammad Nawaz – who was adjudged Player-of-the-Series – for a six and two fours in the ensuing over to see them race to 33 without loss after two overs.
But they scored just nine runs combined from the third and fourth overs, and it came as no surprise when fast bowler Haris Rauf had Andrew caught at long on for 24 with 44 runs on the board.
Skipper Shai Hope and Andrew then added 30 runs in four overs, until Hope hit Mohammad Nawaz straight into the hands of deep cover to be out for seven.

Athanaze eventually reached his maiden T20I half century off 31 balls and together with Rutherford put West Indies in a strong position at 110 for two in the 12th over.
And even after Athanaze’s dismissal, caught at short third man off the bowling of Ayub for 60, inclusive of eight fours and one six, West Indies still held the upper hand with Rutherford and Roston Chase combining in a 39-run partnership that required four overs and took them up to 149 for three in the 17th over.
With West Indies requiring 41 runs from 18 balls and in dire need of boundaries, Chase retired out to make way for the bigger hitters.

However, the Windies never found their momentum after that, with Jason Holder’s dismissal for a two-ball duck in the 18th over by Sufiyan Muqueem that only went for eight runs, proving to be the nail in the coffin.

Rutherford tried his best and reached his 50 off 32 balls by hitting Rauf over cow corner for six in the penultimate over, but with 25 runs required off the final over, Pakistan held their nerves to cruise to a comfortable win in the end.

PAKISTAN
Sahibzada Farhan c Hope b Joseph 74
Saim Ayub c Rutherford b Holder 66
Hasan Nawaz c Shepherd b Chase 15
+Mohammad Haris run out 2
Khushdil Shah not out 11
Faheem Ashraf not out 10
Extras (lb1, w10) 11
TOTAL (four wickets; 20 overs) 189
Did not bat: Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasin Ali, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Bowling: Hosein 4-0-32-0, Holder 4-0-34-1, Chase 4-0-31-1, Joseph 4-0-57-1, Motie 2-0-14-0, Shepherd 2-0-20-0.
WEST INDIES
+Jewel Andrew c Ali b Rauf 24
Alick Athanaze c Shah b Ayub 60
*Shai Hope c Ayub b M Nawaz 7
Sherfane Rutherford c Farhan b Ali 51
Roston Chase retired out 15
Jason Holder b Muqeem 0
Romario Shepherd not out 4
Gudakesh Motie not out 10
Extras (w5) 5
TOTAL (six wickets; 20 overs) 176
Did not bat: Keacy Carty, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph.
Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-74, 3-110, 4-149, 5-149, 6-166.
Bowling: Ali 3-0-38-1, M Nawaz 3-0-33-1, Rauf 4-0-34-1, Ashraf 2-0-13-0, Ayub 4-0-38-1, Muqeem 4-0-20-1.
Player-of-the-Match: Sahibzada Farhan.
Player-of-the-Series: Mohammad Nawaz.