COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – 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 a World Cup warm-up match yesterday.
Russell was the most successful West Indies bowler with four wickets for 43 runs from ten 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 stroked 11 fours and five sixes in his 25-ball innings to anchor the West Indies to 253 for eight from their 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 15in 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 like the 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 tenth 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.
Thomas Odoyo was the pick of the Kenyan bowlers with three for 34 from eight overs, and Tikolo took two for 32 from eight overs.West Indies play a second World Cup warm-up match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday at the same venue.
The two sides recently contested a three-match One-day International series, which the hosts won 2-0, with the first match rained out.
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.
On home turf four years ago, West Indies made it to the Super Eights before losing five out of six matches, prompting their captain Brian Lara to announce his international retirement. (CMC)