Lawson (4/59) rips through Kent

BECKENHAM: Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul lashed half centuries and set up a 91-run victory for the West Indies over Kent in their limited overs cricket practice match at the Kent County Ground yesterday. Sent to bat, West Indies gathered 274 for eight off 48 overs, and Kent responded with 183 all out off 41.1 overs. West Indies had slipped to 37 for two early, when Test pacer Martin Saggers bowled Chris Gayle without a run on the board and also dislodged Dwayne Smith for a typically breezy 23 with five boundaries. Sarwan then joined Chanderpaul and the two Guyanese produced a healthy partnership of 106 runs for the third wicket that got the West Indies innings back on track.

Chanderpaul became Sagger’s third victim, departing for 60, with five fours at 143 for three. Captain Lara and his vice-captain Sarwan then added a valuable 99 runs in their fourth-wicket stand that ended when off-spinner James Tredwell sent back Sarwan for a top-score of 79 off 85 balls that contained five fours and one six. Lara enjoyed a better than run-a-minute and run-a-ball innings, scoring 68 in 62 minutes off 53 balls with seven fours and one six.  Saggers, who has played two Tests for England but is not in their one-day squad, had a good showing with bowling figures of five for 51 off nine overs.  When Kent replied, Ed Smith top-scored with 54, but he did not get enough support to help his team challenge the target. 

Amjad Khan’s 21 at number eight, was the next best score. Pacer Jermaine Lawson ripped through the middle order to collect four for 59 off eight overs.  Ravi Rampaul, the 19-year-old Trinidad and Tobago pacer, had a fine spell with two for 14 in six overs, while Smith (2-40), Dwayne Bravo (1-21) and Gayle (1-23) shared the remaining wickets.  West Indies had a taxing journey from central London to the south-eastern suburbs to play Kent.  It took the tourists two-and-a-half hours to get to Beckenham from their hotel in Kensington because one of the main roads out of town was closed. West Indies were so late that the match was reduced to 48 overs.  West Indies made three changes to the team that defeated Sussex by six wickets at Hove on Saturday, replacing Devon Smith, Darren Sammy and Carlton Baugh, with Bravo,  Lawson and Jacobs. (CMC)