Simmons ... scored 66.

COUVA, Trinidad (CMC):

Discarded West Indies fast bowler Mervyn Dillon and West Indies A team all-rounder Richard Kelly shared six wickets to give the North team the advantage on the opening day of the Pizza Hut Gerry Gomez Memorial Classic yesterday.

In a late afternoon burst of swing bowling, Dillon grabbed three for 13 and Kelly three for 27 as South - in pursuit of North's modest first innings total of 239 - plunged to a wobbly 46 for six at the National Cricket Centre.

Skipper Denesh Ramdin is on 13 not out and his West Indies colleague Dave Mohammed unbeaten on one.

Earlier, North led by half-centuries from West Indies rookie opening batsman Lendl Simmons and talented all-rounder Kieron Pollard battled to drag their total past the 200-mark.

Simmons, who played for the West Indies in the recently concluded ODI series against Pakistan, hit a stroke-filled 66 off 84 balls that contained nine fours and one six, while the tall and well-built Pollard struck a whirlwind 61 from 67 deliveries, which included five fours and four sixes.

Leading bowler for the defending champions was off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth, with figures of five for 74 from 18 overs. \