HALF CENTURIES from Lendl Simmonds, Chris Gayle and Devon Smith placed the West Indies 'A' team in a strong position against Somerset at the end of the opening day's play in their three-day match at Taunton, England yesterday.
The three-half centuries helped West Indies to 370, Somerset were 60 without loss at the close.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Gayle (75) and Devon Smith (65) got West Indies 'A' off to a good start by putting on 138 for the first wicket.
Earlier, Gayle survived a caught and bowled chance to Peter Trego when on 43, but for the entire morning session the pair looked comfortable. However, when it looked like the two were heading to lunch undefeated, off-spinner Keith Dutch broke the stand when he found the outside edge of Smith's bat and wicketkeeper Carl Gazzard made no mistake.
The left-handed opener struck 10 fours in his 85-ball innings, which was full of drives all around the ground.
Resuming on their lunchtime 150 for one, Gayle did not last long as he became the first of Matt Bulbeck's four wickets. The left-arm seamer had Gayle, who hit 10 fours and two big sixes in his 119-ball innings, caught behind by Gazzard at 174 for two.
The wicket of Gayle signalled a middle-order collapse as Bulbeck sent back the in-form Runako Morton (four) and Ryan Hinds (zero) in the space of nine deliveries.
When Trinidian Dwayne Bravo became Bulbeck's fourth victim and Gazzard's third behind the stumps, West Indies A were 217 for five.
However, Simmonds came to the rescue, the 16-year-old who made his first class debut earlier this year, shared in an important seventh wicket stand of 87 with left-arm spinner Sullieman Benn (25) which ensured a respectable total for the West Indies second XI.
Simmonds, a member of the West Indies Under-15 winning World Cup team, was last man out. The right-handed batsman gave Neil Edwards at cover his first catch in first-class cricket to end a innings which he hit 10 fours and two sixes from 108-ball.
Bowling for Somerset, Bulbeck 4-47, skipper Keith Parsons, 3-59, and Dutch 3-104 were the wickettakers.
When Somerset replied, debutant Edwards (29) and Matt Wood (28) saw off 12 overs to close the day on 60 without loss.
SCOREBOARD
West Indies A first innings
C. Gayle c Gazzard b Bulbeck 75
D. Smith c Gazzard b Dutch 65
D. Bravo c Gazzard b Bulbeck 35
R. Morton lbw b Bulbeck 4
R. Hinds c & b Bulbeck 0
G. Breese c Suppiah b Dutch 38
L. Simmonds c Edwards b Dutch 81
S. Benn b Parsons 25
D. Powell c Bulbeck b Parsons 1
J. Lawson c Sub b Parsons 17
R. King not out 0
Extras (8b 10lb 7w 4nb) 29
TOTAL: (all out , 86.1 overs) 370
FALL: 1-138, 2-174, 3-181, 4-181, 5-217, 6-241, 7-328, 8-330, 9-370, 10-370.
Bowling: Bulbeck 18-3-47-4, Rose 6-0-31-0, Trego 9-1-62-0, Parsons 12-0-59-3, Dutch 26.1-5-104-3, Durston 10-0-40-0, Suppiah 5-2-9-0.
Somerset first innings
N. Edwards not out 29
M. Wood not out 28
Extras (1b 2lb) 3
TOTAL: (for no wkts, 12 overs) 60
Bowling: King 5-0-20-0, Powell 3-0-32-0, Benn 3-2-4-0, Hind 1-0-1-0.
