DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – Opener Johnson Charles extended his good form while captain Darren Sammy and Ashley Nurse blasted cameos, as West Indies completed their unofficial warm-ups with a three-wicket win over English County Warwickshire here yesterday.
Chasing a competitive 159 at the Dubai International Stadium, West Indies romped to their target with seven balls to spare, with Charles stroking 48 off 26 balls, Sammy getting 34 off 18 deliveries and Nurse carving out an unbeaten 25 off just nine balls.
The victory ensured West Indies made a clean sweep of the preparation T20 fixtures, after twice beating Zimbabwe in Sharjah last week and also winning the first game against Warwickshire on Friday.
Winning the toss and opting to bat, Warwickshire rallied to 157 for five off their 20 overs, with opener Sam Hain top-scoring with 85 off 57 balls, with nine fours and three sixes.
Tim Ambrose struck 29 not out from 20 deliveries with two fours and a six while former international batsman Jonathan Trott chipped in with 28 from 24 balls.
West Indies slow bowlers did the damage with leg-spinner Samuel Badree claiming two for 17 and off-spinner Ashley Nurse, two for 28.
Warwickshire lost Jonathon Webb for one in the second over with the score on two but were hauled back into the contest courtesy of a 60-run, second wicket stand between Hain and Trott.
When three wickets fell for 12 runs in the space of two overs, Hain and Ambrose ensured a Warwickshire recovery with a 78-run, fifth wicket stand off just 44 deliveries.
In reply, West Indies flourished thanks to a 49-run first wicket stand between Charles and Andre Fletcher, who made just six. Both fell in the space of five deliveries in the sixth over but Marlon Samuels (18) and Dwayne Bravo (13) put on 30 to revive the innings.
Bravo’s demise in the 11th over triggered a slide where West Indies lost four wickets for 13 runs in the space of 23 deliveries.
Once again, the Caribbean side were bailed out by their pugnacious lower order as Sammy and Nurse dominated the Warwickshire attack in an up tempo 55-run partnership off 23 balls.
Sammy struck four fours and one six while Nurse gathered three fours and a six.
West Indies will fly to Kolkata today for their two official warm-up games of the Twenty20 World Cup against Australia and India.
