CMC – Enterprising all-rounder Justin Greaves was one of three players with half-centuries as West Indies rallied on day one of their three-day tour match against Cricket Australia XI here Wednesday.

Entering at number six after the Caribbean side had lost three wickets for three runs in the space of 23 deliveries, the right-hander carved out a polished top score of 65, as the visitors ended on 251 for eight at Karen Rolton Oval.

More significantly, Greaves anchored a 120-run, fifth wicket stand with Kavem Hodge who made 52, before West Indies suffered a collapse towards the end, losing four wickets for eight runs in quick time.

The other fifty came from captain Kraigg Brathwaite, the veteran opener hitting 52 to provide his side with a sound start after they won the toss and opted to bat.

Brathwaite escaped with a few streaky boundaries to third man early on as he put on a crucial 54 for the first wicket with left-hander Tagenarine Chanderpaul (17), and a further 46 for the second wicket with another left-hander Kirk McKenzue who struck 23.

Chanderpaul impressed with a couple of sweetly-timed drives before edging a drive at seamer Bradley Hope and falling to a catch at the wicket, West Indies heading to lunch on 70 for one.
McKenzie’s demise about 45 minutes following the resumption, holing out on the pull to deep square off pacer Jack Nisbet (2-50), triggered a slide with left-hander Alick Athanaze (0) and Brathwaite following quickly.

Athanaze top-edged a pull at seamer Liam Haskett (3-57) and was taken by the ’keeper running around to short backward square while Brathwaite scooped left-arm spinner Doug Warren (2-47) to backward square, after facing 129 fours and striking eight fours.

Greaves, who struck 10 fours in a 135-ball knock then combined with Hodge, who faced 101 deliveries and counted five fours and a six, in the century stand to steer West Indies safely to tea on 160 for four.

Unbeaten on 27 at tea, Greaves reached his fifty with a single to mid-on off Warren in the first over following the drinks break while Hodge, on 25 at the interval, brought up his landmark by clearing the ropes at long on with off-spinner Tim Ward.

Both fell in successive overs, however, Hodge trapped on the crease and bowled by a Warren arm ball and Greaves playing on to Haskett.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES 1st Innings

*K Brathwaite c Wyllie b Warren 52
T Chanderpaul c wkp Matthias b Hope 17
K McKenzie c Conway b Nisbet 23
A Athanaze c wkp Matthias b Haskett 0
K Hodge b Warren 52
J Greaves b Haskett 65
+J Da Silva c Scott b Nisbet 4
A Joseph c Handscomb b Haskett 0
K Sinclair not out 12
G Motie not out 8
Extras (b4, lb4, nb3, w7) 18
TOTAL (8 wkts, 90 overs) 251
Yet to bat: S Joseph, K Roach, A Jordan,T Imlach, Z McCaskie
Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-100, 3-103, 4-103, 5-223, 6-227, 7-231, 8-231
Bowling: Conway 15-6-27-0, Nisbet 18-6-50-2, Haskett 18-5-57-3, Scott 11-5-27-0, Hope 7-3-25-1, Warren 20-5-47-2, Ward 1-0-10-0.
CA XI – *Peter Handscomb, Tim Ward, Jayden Goodwin, Teague Wyllie, Jack Clayton, Jake Doran, Liam Scott, Bradley Hope, Doug Warren, Liam Haskett, Harry Conway, Jack Nisbet, +Harry Matthias, Campbell Thompson

Toss: West Indies.

Players: 11 batting and fielding.

Umpires: Ben Treloar, Michael Graham-Smith.