Chris Gayle - file

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, CMC

Chris Gayle hit a controversial 18th one-day International hundred as West Indies failed in their bid to avoid being swept 3-0, when they lost the third and final ODI against Pakistan yseterday.

The West Indies captain hit 122 from 137 balls, as his side - chasing 274 for victory from their allocation of 50 overs - fell short of the target and was dismissed with 21 balls remaining.

Gayle was controversially given "not-out" on 99, when it appeared he had edged a delivery from Rao Iftikhar to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal in the 39th over.

But this failed to save West Indies and the defeat was formalised when Sohail Tanvir bowled No 11 Lionel Baker for two.

Four-wicket loss

The result for West Indies followed a four-wicket loss in the first ODI last Wednesday, and a 21-run defeat in the second match last Friday.

West Indies again bowled steadily, if not menacingly, but the victory for Pakistan was set up by Younis Khan.

He hit his sixth ODI hundred - an astute 101 from 119 balls - which earned him the Man-of-the-Match award - to carry the substantive home team to 273 for six from their allocation of 50 overs after they chose to bat on a hard, docile Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch.

Gayle and fellow opener Sewnarine Chattergoon then fought their way through the first six overs of the chase, when the ball danced around, and made run-scoring difficult.

But Chattergoon was caught at second slip for six off Tanvir in the seventh over, and Ramnaresh Sarwan joined Gayle.

Back on track

They put West Indies back on track with a stand of 151 for the second wicket, but fortune favoured Gayle on two, when he essayed a lofted drive off Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal from mid-on and Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik from mid-on could not decide who should complete the catch, as the ball fell, annoyingly, between them.

Gayle continued to plod away and lofted Malik straight for the first of his six sixes into the West Indies sitting area to reach the half-century mark in the 21st over before Sarwan drove Shahid Afridi straight for a single to reach 50 in the 29th over.

Bu things started to unravel for West Indies four overs later, when Sarwan was bowled for 62 from 73 balls, trying to run an Iftikhar delivery to third man.

West Indies were then 168 for two, but Iftikhar flattened the middle-order to send West Indies crashing to 193 for six in the 40th over, and finish with four wickets for 59 runs from nine overs which made him the pick of the Pakistan bowlers.

Bemused by the fuss

Things could have been worse had Gayle been dismissed on 99, but the left-hander stood his ground, surrounded by the celebrating Pakistan players, and umpire Mark Benson, too, look bemused by the fuss, and gave him "not-out".

Gayle reached his 100 when he guided a delivery from Iftikhar through square cover for a single, but not before Afridi had Brendan Nash caught behind for one.

Though Gayle and compatriot Jerome Taylor - the only other batsman to reach double figures with 17 - raised hopes of a late, successful charge to victory, Pakistan kept their composure the rest of the way and reached the finish line.

Gayle was eventually caught behind off Gul, edging a delivery off the toe of the bat, a decision which took the video umpire to adjudicate with 42 runs required from the last 37 balls of the match.

Pakistani batsman Yunis Khan plays a ball to leg during his century in the third one-day international of the Fortune Cup 2008 against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, yesterday. West Indies wicketkeeper Xavier Marshall looks on. - AP