SOUTH Africa’s most dependable batsman Hashim Amla displayed great composure to topscore with 92 as the touring South African team compiled 280 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs in their friendly match against the West Indies President’s XI at the Queen’s Park Oval yesterday.The WICB President’s XI was 39 for 2 after 11 overs when rain stopped play at 5.56 pm. Play resumed twenty five minutes later and at press time the home team moved to 124 for 2 after 23 overs.
Trinidad and Tobago’s dashing opener Evin Lewis looked in ominous form and smashed five boundaries and two consecutive sixes off Duminy to race to an unbeaten 70 while Guyana and WI youth captain Shimron Hetmyer was also shaping well and was undefeated on 27.
The day-night fixture is a warm-up match for the visitors who are using the QP Oval as their training base before they fly over to Guyana where he first three matches of the Tri-Nations series were scheduled from June 3.
Jean Paul Duminy, leading the South African outfit in place of regular captain AB DeVilliers; won the toss and elected to bat first on an easy-paced pitch.
The right-handed Amla who appeared in 131 ODIs and chalked up twenty two centuries among the 6,204 runs (52.13); displayed his class in rallying the South Africans to a decent total. He stroked one six and ten fours off 83 balls and shared in a 106-run third wicket stand with Farhaan Behardien (36) before he was adjudged LBW to leg spinner Damion Jacobs who emerged as the West Indies most successful bowler with three for 53. (Brij Parasnath)
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