INVTATIONAL XI’s Marlon Samuels took apart the West Indies bowling attack at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground yesterday on his way to an unbeaten 213 that led his side to 386 before declaring their innings closed in their two-day practice match. Replying to their opponents’ overnight first innings score of 311 for 5 declared, the Invitational XI reached 386 before declaring their innings closed, thanks to Samuels’ score and home boy Christopher Barnwell’s supportive 66
The right-handed Samuels struck 26 fours and 11 sixes while batting for 205 minutes, where he faced 165 deliveries for his pugnacious innings.
He was severe on Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) off-spinner Randy Lindore who was struck for 44 runs in his two overs bowled in the innings, while his West Indies teammates in fast bowlers Ravi Rampaul and Andre Russell were also dispatched for maximums by the 30-year-old Jamaican.
Having seen the demise of 18-year-old Kraigg Brathwaite (4) in the first over of the day, Samuels was joined by West Indies T20 all-rounder Barnwell who was content on playing the supporting role to the West Indies batsman.
The two took the score to 140 for 1 at lunch, with Samuels on 76 and Barnwell 51 and after lunch, Barnwell stepped on the gas hitting Lindore for 4, 4 and 6 in succession that took the score to 162 for 1 off 31 overs, while pushing his personal tally to 66.
He was asked to retire his innings when Samuels reached his ton from 119 balls with 14 fours and one six at 193, at which point Samuels accelerated the innings, moving to 186 from 154 deliveries with 24 fours and 10 sixes, while raising his team’s 300.
Samuels only took nine more balls to reach his double-century, his second for the year following the one scored against Guyana in the first round of the West Indies Cricket Board Regional four-day match back in January, from 163 deliveries with 11 sixes and 26 fours before he was asked to retire.
Such a decision paid dividend for the Darren Sammy-led West Indies XI, as they removed the Invitational XI’s skipper Brendan Nash who was caught at the wicket by Carlton Baugh off Sammy for 31.
Sammy found himself on a hat-trick when he removed Kwame Crosse (0) who was caught by Brathwaite and Jamal Hinckson who was lbw, off successive deliveries to leave the opposition on 330 for 4, but Bramble and Ramnaresh Sarwan who made 18, took the score to 376 before the latter was caught by Raj Nanan off Kemar Roach.
Bramble helped himself to six fours in his unbeaten 44 made off 71 deliveries while batting for 70 minutes, before the Invitational XI innings was closed at 386, against the bowling of Sammy who took 3-64 and Roach who ended with 2-68. (Calvin Roberts)

WEST INDIES XI 1st innings 310-5 decl.
INVITATIONAL XI 1st innings
K. Brathwaite lbw b Roach    4
C. Barnwell ret. out    66
M. Samuels ret. out    213
B. Nash c wkp. Baugh b Sammy    31
R. Sarwan c London b Roach    18
K. Crosse c Brathwaite b Sammy    0
J. Hinkson lbw b Sammy    0
A. Bramble not out    43
F. Edwards c Simmons b London    0
Extras: (b-1, lb-5, w-1, nb-13)    20
Total: (8 wkts, 71.4 overs)    395
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-193, 3-329, 4-330, 5-330, 6-330, 7-385, 8-395.
Did not bat: A. Stoll, R. Lindore, T. Garraway.
Bowling: Roach 17-3-68-2, Russell 8-1-66-0, Sammy 16-8-64-3, Garraway 1-0-13-0, Nanan 3-0-21-0, Rampaul 6-0-44-0, Lindore 2-0-44-0, London 15.4-4-60-1, Brathwaite 3-0-9-0.
Players-a-side: 12 (11 batting, 11 fielding)