A buoyant West Indies side put their Test match misery behind them to reach the final of the Champions Trophy by demolishing Pakistan at the Rose Bowl. Allowed to bowl first, they hustled their opponents out for just 131, with Dwayne Bravo, Wavell Hinds and Corey Collymore all taking two wickets. It was the lowest score ever made by Pakistan against West Indies. West Indies then reached their target in just 28.1 overs, Ramnaresh Sarwan leading the way with 56 not out. On a bitterly cold, grey morning, it came as a huge surprise when Inzamam-ul-Haq elected to bat first on winning the toss. West Indies enjoy chasing in one-day contests and with four medium-paced seamers in their side they had exactly the right attack to get the most out of th conditions early on. Accordingly, Salman Butt, given a one-day international debut, was removed in the first over as he edged Ian Bradshaw to first slip before Yasir Hameed and Shoaib Malik embarked on a partnership. Often, the two right-handers were made to look like novices as they fenced cluelessly outside off stump as the ball moved prodigiously in the air. Hameed at least added two pulled fours off Bradshaw and three further boundaries. Wickets falling He was beginning to look convinving when he chose to take on Bravo's throw from the deep and was a yard short of his ground. But even when he was out, with the score 65-2, there seemed to be scope for a decent score to be made. Little did Pakistan know, however, that Hameed's 39 was to be their best score by some margin. Soon, Malik and Youhana were both caught behind off the impressive Bravo, and the same man was in the action again when running out Abdul Razzaq. Pakistan were suddenly haemorrhaging wickets and Inzamam was soon making his sorry way back to the pavilion when giving wicket-keeper Courtney Browne his third wicket, this time off Hinds. The same bowler removed Abdul Razzaq second ball with a delightful delivery that pitched on middle and straightened. Brian Lara went in for the kill, bringing Collymore back into the attack and his senior bowler responded by bowling Naved-ul-Hasan and Mohammad Sami for ducks. There was time, still, for Shahid Afridi to slog one six and one four off Chris Gayle before he was stumped off the same bowler, Pakistan all out in the 39th over. Shoaib strikes No team could realistically defend 131, but Shoaib Akhtar had other ideas, and spurred on by some noisy, optimistic fans, he took two early wickets. Gayle was unlucky to be ajudged lbw for one, before Hinds drove a ball straight back to the bowler to be brilliantly caught. But as soon as Sarwan cut loose against Sami, whose length was all over the shop, the game was up. In one over, a hooked six was followed by a cut shot played high over point for four. Brian Lara also cashed in with three fours in one Razzaq over. But he could not be there at the end. The skipper was hit in the throat by a nasty Shoaib bouncer and retired hurt on 31. His condition was still being assessed on Wednesday but his injury was not thought to be serious. "He is one of my favourite batsmen ever since I was involved in cricket," said a contrite Shoaib, who was the first player to go down and see how Lara was. "I am sorry. Maybe I was a little bit excited as in eight previous matches I never bowled against him before and I am sorry I hit him." Lara was unable to attend the prizegiving ceremony where man of the match Sarwan deputised. "He's alright, he's having some treatment but he'll be fine for the final," said Sarwan. Sarwan reached his fifty by thumping Razzaq down the ground and victory was sealed when he cut part-time bowler Youhana through the covers for a single. SOURCE: BBCCARIBBEAN.COM