HooperCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka, CMC:
RYAN HINDS struck a half century as the West Indies and Pakistan drew their unofficial three-day practice match at the Police Park Ground on Saturday.
The West Indies, with a 52-run first innings advantage, pushed their second innings total to 230 for seven declared, and the Pakistanis set an improbable 283 runs to win ended on 124 for two wickets. Both teams played their 16 squad members with 11 batting and 11 fielding in the format allowing both teams much needed practice ahead of test assignments the West Indies against India and Pakistan tackling the Australians.
From an overnight 46 for two, the West Indies suffered two early blows with Wavell Hinds (18) and Marlon Samuels (16) both going via the run-out route as the Caribbean side dipped to 79 for four.
But the 21-year-old Ryan Hinds (54) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (40) combined in a 64-run fifth-wicket alliance that revived the innings. Hinds struck five fours and one six, and Sarwan counted six boundaries in his knock before departing at 143 for five.
Captain Carl Hooper and Ridley Jacobs also got useful knocks as they posted a brisk 61-run seventh-wicket stand-in just seven overs-that ended with the declaration after Danish Kaneria dislodged Jacobs for 34 off 27 balls with seven boundaries.
Hooper ended unbeaten on 37 off 27 balls with five fours and two sixes. Opening batsman Taufeeq Umar then struck 64 not out, with 10 boundaries as the Pakistanis played out the remainder of the day without challenging the target.
Hooper, preparing his unit for the first test match against India on October 9, used as many as eight bowlers in the 39 overs bowled. Pacer Jermaine Lawson, picking up one for eight off six overs and leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, one for 31 off nine overs, were the wicket-takers, while pacer Cameron Cuffy, with none for seven off five overs, and Hooper, none for 10 off four overs, had economical spells. On Saturday, Misbah-ul-Haq had slammed 129 not out, but Pakistan, responding to the West Indies' first innings 300 all out (Shivnarine Chanderpaul 83 not out), fell short in the first innings battle at 248 for nine declared. West Indies will now travel to India and play a three-day game against a President's XI side starting Wednesday, a week ahead of the first test in Mumbai.
