HERTFORDSHIRE, England (CMC):

TWENTY-ONE-year-old opener Lendl Simmons hit a fine century while Runako Morton sustained his form, but weather had the final say as West Indies 'A' drew their rain-hit limited-overs tour match against Pakistan yesterday.

Playing at the Denis Compton Oval in Shenley, the right-handed Simmons cracked an unbeaten 108 from 122 balls with 15 fours and a six as the West Indies, batting first after being sent in by Pakistan, rattled up 214 for four off their 40 overs.

Bad light

In reply, Pakistan were cruising along at 123 for three after 22 overs with victory well in sight, but bad light forced a premature end to play.

Seeking to break a four-game losing skid, the West Indies got off to a disappointing start when they lost opener Devon Smith without a run on the board, bowled by speedster Shoaib Akhtar.

After a break for rain which resulted in the game being scaled down from 50 overs to 40, Simmons and Morton posted 86 for the second wicket as they put the Pakistani bowlers under pressure with positive strokeplay.

Both batsmen were particularly severe on Shoaib, hooking him for sixes, as the West Indies took charge of the game.

Morton hammered 44 from 48 balls with five fours and a six, to carry his aggregate for the tour to 511 runs, before he was bowled by left-armer Samiullah Niazi who finished with three for 30.

First-ball duck

His dismissal triggered a slide as Niazi bowled out-of-form captain Sylvester Joseph for a first-ball duck and then removed Jason Mohammed to a catch at the wicket, also for nought as West Indies slipped to 99 for four.

But Simmons and Dwayne Smith, whose 60-ball, unbeaten 55 contained seven fours and one six, combined to add 115 for the fifth wicket and steer their side out of trouble.

West Indies bowlers then made early inroads into the Pakistani batting, with pacer Richard Kelly removing both openers cheaply.

Kelly, who claimed two for 27, bowled Taufeeq Umar for eight with the score on 16 and then trapped Mohammed Hafeez lbw for one with the score on 25.

Dwayne Smith then prised out Salman Butt after he had made 20 from 15 balls, to leave Pakistan at 51 for three.

But Imran Farhat smashed a breezy 62 from 43 balls and added an unbroken 72 for the fourth wicket with Faisal Iqbal (22) as Pakistan regained their balance. The two teams square off again today at the same venue.