Lara, Devon Smith plunder MCC bowling

ARUNDEL: Stroke-filled centuries by Devon Smith and captain Brian Lara highlighted the opening day of the three-day, First-Class cricket tour match for West Indies against an MCC XI yesterday. The visitors reached 373 for six when stumps were drawn with Smith, continuing from where he left off in a prolific “A”-Team tour of Britain two years ago, displaying composure, correctness and level-headed assurance in compiling 142. Even though he lost none of his attacking flair in a near five-hour innings decorated with 22 boundaries, the little left-handed opener sensibly chose to play the supporting role in a 196-run third-wicket partnership with Lara. The West Indies captain tore into the MCC XI’s attack in speeding to 113 off just 105 deliveries before retiring at the tea interval as the effects of the flu took its toll.

Were it a Test match, there is little chance that he would not have continued his innings. But mindful of the need to have as many batsmen as possible spend time in the middle in the two lead-up matches before next week’s first Test at Lord’s, he chose to give the opportunity to others. Neither Shivnarine Chanderpaul nor Dwayne Smith, two of the batsmen upon whom many hopes may be pinned during the coming Test matches, capitalised on the skipper’s generosity however. They fell for nought and two respectively. Reserve wicketkeeper/batsman Carlton Baugh Jr scored 38, and it was left to all-rounder Omari Banks with 12 not out and Pedro Collins, not out on two, to see their team to the close. Lara’s decision to bat set the stage for an intriguing morning session as Chris Gayle lived dangerously, while two England bowlers —  Matthew Hoggard and Simon Jones —  sought to prove their fitness after recovering from minor injuries.

Hoggard, best remembered for achieving the hat-trick in the third Test in Barbados last April, should have removed the attacking left-hander for just three, but Graham Thorpe —  another England player in the invitational side —  dropped a regulation catch at second slip. Gayle emerged from his lethargy to hoist Dale Benkenstein for six over long-on, but after being put down again by Alastair Cook at first slip off Jones, his luck ran out when the fast bowler found the edge of his bat again two balls later and Cook gleefully made amends to end Gayle’s innings. His contribution in a 90-run opening partnership with Devon Smith was an unconvincing 43. With Ramnaresh Sarwan among the players rested for this fixture, Dwayne Bravo was promoted to number three in the order, but failed to make an impression, playing across the line and being neatly stumped by Rikki Wessels —  the son of former South African captain Kepler Wessels —  off former England left-arm spin bowler Min Patel for just four. Lara’s aggressive demeanour in the few minutes’ play left before lunch hinted at his intentions, and the star batsman, with Devon Smith not far adrift, treated the crowd to a display to match the sunny conditions and idyllic setting.

Driving fluently, powerfully and often, he kept the spectators busy in offering the sort of polite applause so typical of the classic English village green setting. Two trademark lofted drives beyond the long-on boundary were the high points of an innings in which he achieved the rare feat of scoring over 100 runs in a session of a First-Class match. He offered one chance on 81 to Sven Koenig at point off the South African medium-pacer Charl Willoughby, but the rousing ovation that greeted his 17th boundary off the same bowler to reach his second hundred in as many matches on this ground suggested that he had given the fans what they had come to see. Lara’s innings lifted his tally to 686 runs in his last four First-Class innings after the world record 400 not out against England in Antigua and scores of 53 and 120 in his two innings in the Tests against Bangladesh.