Hinds... laid run-chase foundation.
-File photo
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC:
FIVE BATSMEN passed 50 with Wavell Hinds' 92 the highest as Brian Lara's side prevailed over Ramnaresh Sarwan's team by five runs in the first of two practice matches yesterday, as West Indies stepped up preparations for next month's tri-nation limited-overs series in Australia.
On a pitch tailor-made for batting, Sarwan's team slumped from 221 for two to 253 all out in pursuit of a target of 259 in 49 overs before an appreciative crowd of close to 1,000, including several tourists.
Hinds, who was missed twice, and Daren Ganga laid the foundation for the run chase by adding 129 off 20.4 overs for the first wicket.
Ganga fell to the off-spin of Narsingh Deonarine for 58 off 63 balls including nine boundaries before left-hander Hinds and fellow Jamaican Marlon Samuels sustained the tempo by putting on 75 in 14.4 overs.
Hinds' knock came off 120 deliveries and contained nine fours and two sixes. Devon Smith dropped him on 22 at slip off left-arm fast-medium bowler Deighton Butler and, on 53, Runako Morton, also at slip, put him down off Deonarine.
But the dismissal of Samuels for 41 led to a dramatic collapse as the last eight wickets tumbled for 32 runs.
Earlier, Jamaicans Chris Gayle and Xavier Marshall and Lara all helped themselves to half-centuries as well in a total of 258 for nine off 49 overs when a sharp shower ended the innings.
ASKED TO RETIRE
Gayle looked in ominous form as he lashed 70 off 98 balls with four boundaries and two sixes before new West Indies team coach Bennett King went on to the field and asked him to retire 'out' with the score at 135 to allow Lara to get a knock.
The move almost backfired as wicketkeeper Courtney Browne dropped Lara off the very first ball he faced from left-arm spin bowler Ryan Hinds as he tried to steer it to third man.
Lara went on to smash 65 including six fours and three sixes. He was particularly savage on lanky fast bowler Dwight Washington, whose last four deliveries of what was his final over were crashed for 18.
Marshall, a member of the Young West Indies side who were beaten finalists in the ICC Youth World Cup in Bangladesh last February, scored 55 from 65 deliveries with three fours and a six.
