draw match

DURHAM CITY, England (CMC):

Led by a hundred by wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin, West Indies con-tinued to build a solid total against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) XI and dominated their drawn three-day match that ended yesterday.

Following Runako Morton's double-century on Saturday's second day, Ramdin smashed 131 on yesterday's last day for his third first-class hundred and allowed West Indies to declare at a hefty 534 for eight, for a 274-run first innings lead.

The MCC XI - batting a second time - struggled to 64 for five when play was called off at the Racecourse Ground.

Ramdin - with only 11 runs in the Headingley Test last week - needed a confidence booster and secured it with a fine innings.

In thumping his highest ever first-class score, he faced 163 balls, hitting 16 fours and three sixes before edging a catch off Barbadian pacer Ruel Brathwaite to wicketkeeper Paul Dixey. His departure prompted Daren Ganga's declaration 16 short of the 550-mark.

CENTURY STAND

Ramdin and Jerome Taylor gathered an unlikely century stand earlier in the day as the touring side built well from their overnight position of 340 for four, replying to the MCC XI's first innings score of 260 all out.

MCC had immediate success at the start of play when medium pacer Simon Butler, on his first-class debut, removed Darren Sammy without any addition to the overnight score. He bowled the St. Lucian for 18.

With injured opener Chris Gayle (rib muscle) not utilised, Taylor - batting at No.7 - linked up with Ramdin and the two 22-year-olds compiled a century partnership of 110 that frustrated the MCC XI.

From a lunch-time position of 450 for five, West Indies had their fruitful sixth-wicket stand between Ramdin and Taylor broken when Butler dislodged Taylor for 35. He failed to add to his lunch-time score.

Ramdin continued to play steadily to secure his hundred, which came in 172 minutes off 132 balls and contained 11 fours and two sixes. Gayle and Ravi Rampaul were unable to bat due to injury.

WOBBLED

MCC wobbled early in their second innings when Ireland's William Porterfield departed for a second-ball duck, edging pacer Daren Powell to Ramdin.

Medium pacer Daren Sammy was incisive with two for 14 from his six overs, while there was a wicket each for Powell and Taylor, who both sent down tidy spells.

Powell returned figures of one for six off six overs with three maidens and Taylor picked up one for 12 off four overs.

Only Dixey (17) and Laurie Evans (12) got to double figures and with the MCC effectively six down as captain Sanath Jayasuriya had left for an early flight back to Sri Lanka, play was surprisingly brought to a premature conclusion with 15 overs remaining.