Wavell Hinds (100) stars with bat

BRIDGETOWN: Wavell Hinds again stood out with the bat, as he slammed an even century yesterday to help Ramnaresh Sarwan’s side prevail over Brian Lara’s in the second West Indies cricket practice match. The left-handed opening batsman, who scored 92 in Tuesday’s first match, again took advantage of a docile Kensington Oval pitch on a hot, sunny day. He slammed half-dozen sixes and three fours in his 117-ball innings, as Sarwan’s team amassed 290 for five off their allotment of 50 overs. Hinds and Sarwan added 119 in 22.5 overs for the second wicket, after Daren Ganga was run out for 14 with the score 34 in the middle of the 10th over.

Hinds was particularly severe on fellow Jamaican and close friend, off-spin bowler Chris Gayle, hitting him for three sixes, including two in succession over mid-wicket. Sarwan scored 42 from 64 balls and later Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the aggressive Ricardo Powell also got in some needed batting practice. Chanderpaul was unbeaten with 46 off 48 deliveries, while Powell smashed 58 from 46 balls with five boundaries and three sixes. Off-spin bowler Narsingh Deonarine took two for 43, but the most economical bowler was another off-spin bowler Sherwin Ganga, who like Deonarine is better known for his left-handed batting. Sherwin Ganga conceded 41 runs from 10 overs and picked up the wicket of Hinds, who was third out, leg before wicket.

Lara’s team struggled all the way and it took a knock of 40 off 45 balls with three boundaries before he was run out from former  Young West Indies captain Dinesh Ramdin to add some respectability after the first five wickets fell for 88 by the 21st over. They were eventually bowled out for 197 in 41 overs. Runako Morton contributed 30 from 56 balls, and Deonarine and fast bowler Deighton Butler each scored 23. Left-arm medium-fast bowler Pedro Collins bowled impressively and ended with three for 12 from six overs. Another fast bowler Mervyn Dillon picked up two for 38. Courtney Browne brought off two stumpings, including Lara, who fell for 14 off the slow bowling of Marlon Samuels. The matches were contested in the middle of a three-week camp in preparation for next month’s three-nation limited-overs series with Pakistan and hosts Australia. (CMC)