Yesterday was as good as it can get.

Willed on by a vibrant, near-capacity crowd, the West Indies played brilliantly to overwhelm Pakistan by 54 runs as the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup – the first to be held in the Caribbean – got off to a rollicking start at the new-look Sabina Park.

On a pitch that provided bounce and generous seam movement, especially early on, the West Indies, led by a 70-ball 63 from Marlon Samuels, battled all the way to post 241-9 in their 50 overs.

Man-of-the-Match Dwayne Smith, who had earlier smashed 32 from 15 balls, then removed Pakistan’s top two batsmen, Mohammad Yousuf (37) and skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq (36), in taking 3-36 as Pakistan were restricted to 187 in 47.2 overs.

Fellow seamers Dwane Bravo (3-42), Daren Powell (2-42), Corey Collymore (1-38) and Jerome Taylor (1-38) were the other wicket-takers as the hosts bowled a rigorous and demanding length and line and fielded like terriers.

Contrary to a lengthy trend, skipper Brian Lara did not turn to his off-spinners Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle, relying entirely on his seam bowlers.

It was a sensational performance from a West Indies team that only last week collapsed for 85 in a warm-up game against India, underlining once again their extreme unpredictability that is as dangerous to opponents as it is annoying for Caribbean people.

In a group that also includes minnows Ireland and Zimbabwe, yesterday’s victory will have provided a considerable advantage for the hosts if, as expected, they and Pakistan go forward to the Super Eight Series.

Under tournament rules, points gained over the fellow advancing team are counted in the Round of Eight phase.

Sent to bat, the West Indies lost Gayle (2) in the third over, caught behind as he pushed tentatively at a lifting delivery angled across him from the tall Umar Gul (2-38).

Sarwan could have been out first ball, but his flying edge from a ferocious slash at Gul’s length delivery just outside off stump, blasted through the hands of Younis Khan at second slip.

Sarwan’s square cut to the point boundary off Rana Naveed shortly after, eased nerves. And he and the more circumspect Shivnarine Chanderpaul (19) gradually settled against the swing, seam and bounce of the Pakistani pacers. But it was tough going, though Sarwan’s delightful back-drive to the cover boundary followed by a lofted, one-bounce cover-drive off the front foot against Rana brought the crowd to its feet.

Chanderpaul’s sweet flick off the pads to the square-leg boundary off Naveed brought up the West Indies’ 50 off 88 balls.

By then, the tall, big-shouldered Rao Iftikar (3-44) was in his element, bowling a mean off-stump line. He would reap reward in the 20th over when Chanderpaul’s feeling bat tickled a catch to the wicketkeeper – diving away to his left – at 64-2. It was a disappointing end for the left-handed Chanderpaul, who had used up 63 balls.

Samuels, greeted with loud, prolonged applause from his home crowd, started quietly, sharing quick singles with Sarwan before watching as the latter fell on the verge of a deserved half-century.

Flashing at the impressive Iftikhar, Sarwan (49 from 65 balls, nine fours), looked back to see the edged catch swallowed by Younis at second slip at 77-3 in the 24th over.

With Lara settling in, Samuels suddenly opened up in the 28th over – lifting Iftikhar magnificently straight for six and next ball easing forward to find the extra-cover boundary with an aerial drive.

The elegant right-hander flowed smoothly from then on as Lara eased into high gear. The left-hander’s first boundary – a deft glide through vacant slip off the wrist-spinner Danish Kaneria (1-45), had the crowd jumping as the 100 came up in the 29th over.

A calculated assault on the dangerous Kaneria proved pivotal. Samuels, using his feet, drove powerfully straight for four, then gloriously over long-on for six, followed by a fortunate edge to the third-man boundary.

And in the wrist-spinner’s follow-up over, Lara (37 from 56 balls, three fours, one six) joined the act, dancing down to clear the boundary at long-off by a distance and two balls later, leaning back to cut with chiselled precision behind point for another boundary.

Samuels brought up his half-century by lofting Kaneria straight for six. But then Lara, having swept Kaneria to fine-leg for another four, was caught behind off the under edge as he swept at the off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez.

The West Indies captain had shared 91 for the fourth wicket with Samuels in 17 overs – a partnership that in the end was the basis for eventual triumph.

The crowd groaned when Samuels lofted Hafeez down the throat of long-on at 181-5 in the 44th over. And the pain increased when Denesh Ramdin (1) – promoted ahead of Smith – was stumped on the stretch, off Kaneria.

But the West Indian fans need not have worried. Smith, looking tight in defence, running like a hare between the wickets and hitting out selectively – batted as well as he has for the West Indies in a long time to fuel real enthusiasm.

By the time he skied a catch off Gul in the 49th over, Smith had lashed three fours and two clean sixes. And when Collymore of all people clobbered Iftikhar’s length delivery over long-on for six, there was an unmistakable winning vibe at Sabina Park.

Pakistan in reply were off to a cracking start with the right-handed Imran Nazir (6) cracking fastbowler Powell’s first ball, which was too short and wide, over point for six to silence the crowd.

But Powell hit back immediately – his perfect out-swinger flicking the edge through to a jubilant Ramdin as the crowd roared.

Powell’s newball partner Taylor struck an even more vital blow when the dangerous Younis Khan (9) opted to pull a short rising ball from outside his off stump for Ramdin to take the edged catch at 17-2 in the fourth over.

And when Mohammad Hafeez (11) inexplicably drove Powell for an easy catch to mid-on at 39-3 in the 11th over, the Pakistanis knew they needed quality performances from Inzamam and/or Yousuf. They tried.

But in the end they were stifled by a disciplined West Indies team that made few errors. Collymore in particular gave nothing away as the Pakistanis were mostly restricted to singles.

The proactivity of the crowd with Mexican waves and impromptu cheers led mainly by the ‘massive’ in the temporary stand at the south-western side of Sabina Park may well have contributed to Yousuf’s demise.

Driving loosely at Smith, the bearded right-hander’s thick edge was safely taken by Ramdin at 99-4. And when Inzamam was trapped leg before by Smith – straightening off the pitch – at 116-5 in the 33rd over, the celebration went on and on. Smith followed up next ball with the scalp of the hard-hitting Kamran Akmal, magnificently taken by Bravo flying through the air at backward point and the die was cast.

Shoaib Malik’s 62 off 54 balls (six fours, one six) was never going to be enough as the Pakistanis gradually wilted.