Windies take on Free State

BLOEMFONTEIN: With Wednes-day’s festival match out of the way, West Indies gets down to serious cricket when they face Free State at Goodyear Park today in the only warm-up match prior to the first Test, starting next week.

The visitors won the opening match of their nine-week tour of South Africa and will be looking to continue in that mode in their build-up to the opening Test at the new Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg against Free State over the next four days.

A few niggling injuries may impact upon the West Indies’ final 11 for the match against Free State which was led by former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams up to last year, but now has former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald as its captain. Marlon Samuels has been hampered with a leg injury for the last week and Vasbert Drakes has still not fully recovered from the side strain that kept him out of the two crucial one-day matches against Zimbabwe last weekend.

These two along with Fidel Edwards, who the tourists are looking to keep in the proverbial cotton wool, and second-string ’keeper/bat Carlton Baugh, are likely to sit out this weekend’s match against Free State. The forecast is mainly sunny weather today with a 50 per cent chance of rain tomorrow, and thunderstorms possible on Sunday and Monday.

Teams:
FREE STATE (from): Allan Donald (capt), Morne van Wyk, Boeta Dippenaar, Jonathan Beukes, Ryan McLaren, Gerhardus Liebenberg, Rayno Arendse, Cliff Deacon, Johannes van der Wath, Peter Abrahams, Tello Motsamai, Dewald Pretorius, Victor Mpitsang, Thandi Tshabalala, Sipho Sibande.
WEST INDIES (from): Brian Lara (capt), Ramnaresh Sarwan (v-capt), Omari Banks, Carlton Baugh Jr, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Corey Collymore, Mervyn Dillon, Vasbert Drakes, Fidel Edwards, Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Ravi Rampaul, Marlon Samuels.