Sarwan stars for WI

Sarwan... run out 94.

HARARE, CANA-Reuters:

WEST Indies easily beat Zimbabwe-A by 153 runs yesterday in a limited-overs cricket match designed to give the visitors some practice ahead of Saturday's triangular series match against India.

After being sent in to bat at the Harare Sports Club, West Indies scored 277 for six wickets before dismissing Zimbabwe for just 124.

An efficient win for the touring team, but coach Roger Harper chose a realistic tone at the end.

"Well you have to bear in mind that it was Zimbabwe "A" that we were playing and not a One-day international," he said.

Only Guy Croxford (27) and Gary Brent (36), batting at nine, provided any resistance as the Zimbabweans crumbled in the face of a fine opening spell from West Indies' Reon King and Corey Collymore, along with Mahendra Nagamootoo's leg spin.

"The bowlers bowled very very well, Reon King had a very good opening spell, Corey Collymore playing his first game on the tour looked pretty sharp and very accurate, and I think we have just got to build on this performance here," West Indies coach Roger Harper said on the CANASport radio programme Tuesday.

King and Collymore each captured two wickets to rip through the Zimbabwe-A top order, reducing the hosts to 24 for four - a position from which they never recovered.

Nagamootoo then captured four for 44 from nine overs to finish off the tailenders to complete a fine individual all-round performance.

Zimbabwe's second string faced a difficult task after Ramnaresh Sarwan's well-paced innings of 94 led West Indies to an impressive 277 for six from their 50 overs.

Sarwan took advantage of a perfect batting pitch to reach his total from just 104 balls with five boundaries before a brilliant run out from cover by Paul Strang ended his innings just short of a century.

Opening batsmen Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle laid the platform for a large score with a half-century stand for the first wicket before left- hander Gayle was caught by wicketkeeper Donald Campbell off fast bowler David Mutendera for 29.

Hinds completed his half century in untroubled style before offering a return catch to leg-spin bowler Strang to depart for 55 from 74 deliveries with five fours and a six.

Nagamootoo applied the finishing touches to a well-judged innings with a bullish 43 from just 41 balls, including one six and a four, before becoming the second run-out victim of the innings in the closing overs.

"I thought we played pretty well, the guys batted well yet again, and everything seems to be falling into place," Harper said.

The match did not feature on West Indies' itinerary until two days ago when the management felt a gap of seven days between matches in the triangular competition was too long.

West Indies won their opening match of the triangular series against Zimbabwe by 27 runs.

SCOREBOARD

West Indies Innings

C.Gayle c Campbell b Mutendera 29

W.Hinds c and b Strang 55

M.Samuels b Brent 9

R.Sarwan run out 94

R.Jacobs c Watambwa b Strang 20

M.Nagamootoo run out 43

C.Hooper not out 9

S.Chanderpaul not out 1

Extras (lb7, w10) 17

TOTAL (6 wkts-50 overs) 277

R. King, K. Jeremy, C. Collymore did not bat.

Fall: 1-74, 2-97, 3-121, 4-167, 5-256, 6-272.

Bowling: Watambwa 10-0-59-0 (w3); Mutendera 9-0-51-1 (w2); Nkala 6-0-41-0 (w1; Brent 8-0-39-1 (w3); Strang 10-0-49-2 (w1); Rennie 7-0-31-0.

Zimbabwe A

G. Rennie c Hooper b King 4

H. Masakadza b Collymore 12

S. Matsikenyire c Chanderpaul b Collymore 6

C. Wishart b King 0

G. Croxford c Hooper b Hinds 27

M. Nkala c sub b Hinds 16

D. Campbell c wkpr Jacobs b Nagamootoo 1

P. Strang c Sarwan b Nagamootoo 5

G. Brent c Samuels b Nagamootoo 36

D. Mutendera not out 9

B. Watambwa b Nagamootoo 0

Extras (lb4, w4) 8

TOTAL (all out-30 overs) 124

Fall: 1-4, 2-15, 3-16, 4-24, 5-56, 6-68, 7-69, 8-91, 9-124.

Bowling: King 10-1-29-2 (w1); Collymore 8-2-15-2; Jeremy 3-0-17-0; Nagamootoo 9-0-44-4 (w1); Hinds 4-0-15-2 (w2).

Result: West Indies won by 153 runs.

Toss: Zimbabwe-A.

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