LONDON (CMC):

West Indies made heavy weather of a paltry target but held their nerve in the end to beat Pakistan by two wickets and make a winning start to their ICC Champion Trophy campaign yesterday.

Chasing 171 for victory at a sun-bathed Oval, West Indies crashed from a comfortable position of 78 for two in the 17th over to 143 for seven in the 37th, before recovering to reach their target with just over nine overs remaining.

Tail-ender Kemar Roach (five not out) sealed victory with a square- driven boundary in the 41st over.

Left-handed opener Chris Gayle top scored with 39 while Marlon Samuels and Kieron Pollard both got 30, but it was a crucial 22-run, eighth-wicket partnership between vice-captain Denesh Ramdin (11 not out) and Sunil Narine (11) that put the Caribbean side within touch of victory.

Left-arm seamer Mohammed Irfan was the best Pakistan bowler with three for 32 from his nine overs, while off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (2-38) and left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz (2-42) picked up two wickets apiece.

Earlier, Pakistan were propped up by captain Misbah-ul-Haq's unbeaten 96, as they laboured to 170 all out off 48 overs after being sent in.

They were tottering at 15 for three in the seventh over after Man of the Match Roach, who finished with three for 28 from 10 overs, produced an incisive burst to rock the innings.

Opener Nasir Jamshed chipped in with 50 but mystery off-spinner Sunil Narine, with three for 34 from his 10 overs, kept the brakes on Pakistan's scoring and ensured there was no major recovery.

Roach struck with the last delivery of the day's first over when captain Dwayne Bravo dived in front first slip to snap up left-hander Imran Farhat for two, with as many runs on the board.

The right-arm speedster then bowled Mohammed Hafeez off his pads for four with the score on 14 in the fifth over and completed his rout by having Asad Shafiq caught at third man by Ravi Rampaul without scoring, with only a run added.

Pakistan, however, rebounded through Misbah and Nasir Jamshed who put on 90 for the fourth wicket to steady the innings. Misbah faced 127 balls, struck five fours and three sixes while Nasir counted five fours off 95 deliveries.