Anjum clinches whitewash

Younus Khan works his way towards a match- winning 101 for Pakistan

Buy this photo

A career-best display from Iftikhar Anjum helped Pakistan to a 31-run win and a series whitewash of West Indies in the third one-day international in Abu Dhabi.

Anjum turned the game Pakistan's way midway through the West Indies run-chase as he claimed three quick wickets in a match haul of 4-59.

After a Younus Khan century had helped Pakistan record a competitive total of 273 for six, the Windies had looked capable of reaching their target with captain Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan combining for a second-wicket stand of 151.

Anjum broke their partnership when he bowled Sarwan for 62 and when he followed that up with the key wickets of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Xavier Marshall the chase was suddenly in danger of being derailed.

West Indies did, however, retain hope of victory while Gayle remained at the crease with the left-hander combining measured strokeplay with some hefty blows in a century that took 127 balls.

But when his inspired innings of 122, which included five fours and six sixes, was ended the game was beyond the Windies, who lost their last nine wickets for 74 runs.

The run-chase began slowly with Gayle not hitting the first boundary until the ninth over, while Sewnarine Chattergoon made just six before he edged a catch to Younus from Sohail Tanvir.

Gayle and Sarwan then set about building a sizeable stand with the captain surviving a dropped chance by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal when he was on 34.

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik recieves the series trophy from Said Mohammed Ali in Abu Dhabi

Buy this photo

They had combined for 151 runs when Anjum broke their stand with a ball that flicked Sarwan's off bail.

It sparked a collapse as Gayle's hopes of steering his team to their target was undermined by the wickets that fell around him.

Eventually the captain departed too, caught by Akmal off the bowling of Umar Gul, to leave his side still needing 42 with three wickets in hand.

That proved too much for the tail as Gul mopped up to finish with 3-31.

Earlier, Pakistan had got off to a rocky start with opener Salman Butt falling in the opening over before Younus restored calm with a fine innings of 101 while Misbah-ul-Haq later contributed 79.

Younis brought up his century with a quick single off Daren Powell in the 41st over but was out soon afterwards, going for an ambitious reverse sweep off Nikita Miller.

It was his sixth one-day international century.

Once Younus was gone, West Indies claimed two more quick wickets - Shoaib Malik bowled by Jerome Taylor and Shahid Afridi caught by Chanderpaul off Lionel Baker.

But Misbah was steadily building a fine innings at the other end on his way to a seventh one-day half-century that helped Pakistan to their match-winning total.