WI skipper Lara thrills Bermuda

HAMILTON: West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara stroked a sparkling half century to help guide his Select team, which included six other players with Test experience, to a two-wicket victory over a Bermuda Select in the first day-night international match at the new National Sports Centre ground on Sunday.

Lara, who struck five fours in his 59, rescued his team from a precarious five for three by adding 111 for the fourth wicket with Bermudian guest player Philip Burgess (47) after the home team had been dismissed for 161 in the 37th over. Veteran Trinidadian pacer Mervyn Dillon and fiery Barbadian newcomer Fidel Edwards snapped up three wickets apiece. Dillon, who was later bowled for a duck before local player Charlie Marshall clinched victory in the 40th over with a straight-driven six, took three for 21 from 8.4 overs while Edwards had three for 25 from eight overs. The Bermuda Select lost two early wickets but Oliver Pitcher steadied the innings with a fine knock of 41 before he was caught off the slow bowling of Lara, who picked up two for 39 in five overs. Batting was never easy on a grassy pitch that offered pace and plenty of bounce but Lara, who came in at No 5, brought the crowd of around 3,000 to life under the floodlights with an innings full of his trademark cover drives, cuts and pulls that ended when he was caught on the long-off boundary off slow left-arm bowler Peter Philpott, who finished with four for 21 from eight overs.

Opening bowler Kevin Hurdle returned figures of three for 30 from his 10 overs. Lara, whose team also included Courtney Browne, Ryan Hinds, Jerome Taylor and Omari Banks, was brought to Bermuda by the Eastern Counties Association which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this season. Lara, making his first trip to Bermuda, said he wanted to repay the support given by Bermudians to the West Indies Test team, especially those who flock every year to Barbados and Antigua. He hoped more would visit his native Trinidad and Tobago to watch cricket. Lara was mobbed when he turned up to sign autographs in Hamilton on Friday and he spent four hours on Sunday morning coaching youngsters. Bermuda officials are hoping to stage a match when the next cricket World Cup is staged in the West Indies in 2007.