Sarwan leads the way in WI win

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CMC):

Andre Russell and Kemar Roach followed Ramnaresh Sarwan's 123 with penetrative fast bowling to carry West Indies to a confidence-boosting, 61-run victory over Kenya in an "official" World Cup warm-up match yesterday.

Russell was the most successful West Indies bowler with four wickets for 43 runs from 10 overs, and Roach collected three for 23 from 7.3 overs, as Kenya were dismissed for 192 in 45.3 overs in the match at the Premadasa Stadium.

Sarwan had stroked 11 fours and five sixes in his 125-ball innings to anchor the West Indies to 253 for eight from their allocation of 50 overs, after they were sent in to bat on a typically easy-paced pitch.

Dwayne Bravo added some beef to the innings, with six fours and one six in 54 from 56 balls, and put on 94 for the fifth wicket with Sarwan, but no other West Indies batsman passed 20.

Russell made the breakthrough for West Indies when Kenya chased, trapping Alex Obanda lbw for 15 in the eighth over.

But West Indies were put on the back-foot, when Collins Obuya joined opener Serena Waters to hit the top score of 68 from 105 balls, and put on 70 for the second wicket.

Nikita Miller had Waters stumped for 43 in the 26th over, and similar to West Indies, no other Kenyan batsman could pass 20.

Russell and Roach were unerring in the closing stages, with four of the last seven wickets that fell for 40 in the space of 45 balls, either lbw or bowled.

Earlier, West Indies ran into early trouble at 32 for three in the 10th over, and were 65 for four, when Shivnarine Chanderpaul was caught close to the wicket off Obanda for seven.

But Bravo joined Sarwan, and they beefed-up the total with their enterprising batting before Steve Tikolo separated them with the scalp of Bravo.

West Indies were 178 for six in the 41st over, when Sammy was lbw to Tikolo, but Sarwan dominated a seventh-wicket stand of 57 with Carlton Baugh Jr to lead a late flurry.

West Indies open their World Cup campaign against South Africa on February 24 in New Delhi, followed by matches against Netherlands, Bangladesh, Ireland, England, and India.

• West Indies (maximum 50 overs)

D.S. Smith b Odoyo

0A. Barath c wk Ouma b Odoyo 17D.M. Bravo c wk Ouma b Ongondo 12R. Sarwan run out (Patel) 123S. Chanderpaul c Tikolo b Obanda 7D.J. Bravo c Ngoche b Tikolo 54D. Sammy lbw b Tikolo 7+C. Baugh c Patel b Odoyo 12A. Russell not out 4Extras (lb2, w15) 17TOTAL (8 wkts, 50 overs) 253

K. Pollard, N. Miller, K. Roach did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-32, 3-32, 4-65, 6-159, 6-178, 7-235, 8-253

Bowling: Odoyo 8-0-34-3, Ongondo 6-2-26-1, Obanda 7-0-40-1, Odhiambo 7-1-45-0, Ngoche 5-0-41-0,Kamande 8-0-30-0, Tikolo 8-0-32-2, Obuya 1-0-3-0

Kenya (target: 254 from 50 overs)

S. Waters st Baugh b Miller

43A. Obanda lbw b Russell 15C. Obuya b Roach 68S. Tikolo bSammy 15+M. Ouma lbw b Roach 5R. Patel b D.J. Bravo 2J. Kamande not out 19T. Odoyo c Miller b Russell 5N. Odhiambo b Russell 7P. Ongondo b Russell 0E. Otieno b Roach 6Extras (lb1, w6) 7TOTAL (all out, 45.3 overs) 192

J. Ngoche did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-98, 3-137, 4-152, 5-153, 6-155, 7-162, 8-171, 9-171

Bowling: Roach 7.3-1-23-3, Russell 10-2-43-4, D.J. Bravo 8-0-40-1,Sammy 10-0-49-1, Miller 10-1-36-1

Result: West Indies won by 61 runs

Toss: Kenya

Umpires: D. Harper, N. Llong