Smith impresses with ton in warm-up

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

Devon Smith may have made the choice of West Indies openers for the first Test against Pakistan a two-horse race yesterday, when he slammed a hundred against an Invitational XI in a warm-up match.

The left-handed opener was undefeated on 130 to lead the West Indies XI to 310 for five in their first innings, when bad light stopped play early on the opening day of the two-day contest at the Demerara Cricket Club.

Darren Bravo scored 61, Andre Russell made 33 not out and Ramnaresh Sarwan got 20, but the rest of the West Indies batting failed take the opportunity to get a decent hand before the Test opens on Thursday at the Guyana National Stadium.

Smith crashed 17 fours and two sixes from 224 balls in just under 5¹/² hours, to leave Lendl Simmons and Kraigg Brathwaite to fight for the other remaining slot at the top of the order.

prolific batsman

Simmons, the West Indies' most prolific batsman in the preceding one-day international (ODI) series, made 13 before Christopher Barnwell trapped him lbw.

Brathwaite, the 18-year-old batting prodigy, will get his chance today's final day, when he takes to the crease for the Invitational XI.

West Indies currently have 15 players preparing for the Test and two will be sent home later this week when the final squad of 13 will be chosen.

Bravo made good use of the conditions, striking 12 fours from 67 balls before he became one of two wickets for off-spinner Paul Wintz, one of the hometown players supplementing the two sides for this match.

Bravo added 94 for the second wicket with Smith.