Windies warm-up with seven-wicket win

KWEKWE: An all-round performance from Wavell Hinds helped West Indies to complete an easy seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe “A” at the Kwekwe Sports Club in a One-day cricket practice match yesterday. Hinds was the pick of the West Indies bowlers when he captured three wickets for 35 runs from seven overs as Zimbabwe “A” were restricted to 239 for eight in their allotment of 50 overs. Left-hander Hinds then returned to hit the top score of 69 retired out when the visitors responded with 240 for three. Choosing to bat, Zimbabwe “A” were undermined by Hinds’ medium-paced swing bowling early on a hard, easy-paced pitch. Hinds removed opening batsman Doug Marillier for 24, Craihg Evans for six and Sean Ervine for 22 as the home team lost wickets steadily to subside to 96 for five.

A sixth-wicket stand of 90 between Alester Maregwede, top-scorer with 69, and Barney Rogers, his support with 54, added some beef to the Zimbabwe “A” total before Chris Gayle (3-41) and Ravi Rampaul (2-53) shared the last three wickets. While his bowling seemed steady enough, Gayle’s batting will provide much concern for West Indies. He was the only wicket conceded to Zimbabwe “A”, when he was caught hitting out off Gary Brent for one. Hinds and fellow left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul with 63 added 144 for the second wicket and when they retired out within two runs of each other, Marlon Samuels with 51 not out and Ramnaresh Sarwan with 39 not out carried West Indies to their target. The match was West Indies’’ only warm-up for the five-match one-day International series against Zimbabwe, starting with a double-header at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday and Sunday.