PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Dashing left-hander Evin Lewis stroked an entertaining unbeaten half-century to set up an interesting finish but rain proved the spoiler, forcing a tie under Duckworth/Lewis system in the day/night one-day game between the West Indies Cricket Board’s President’s XI and South Africa here Sunday night.
Man-of-the-Match Hashim Amla stroked 92 to propel the tourists to 280 for nine after they won the toss and opted to bat first at the Queen’s Park Oval. But opener Lewis answered with an authoritative 71 off 61 deliveries and the President’s XI were 127 for three at the start of the 25th over when the rain arrived to end the contest prematurely with both teams level on Duckworth/Lewis.
The game is the only warm-up one for the Proteas before the start of the Tri-Nations Series in Guyana on Friday and several players grabbed the opportunity to spend time in the middle.
Kyle Abbott chimed in with 43 from 38 balls, Farhaan Behardien scored 36, Aaron Phangiso hit 34 not out while Chris Morris got 31.
Opener Rilee Roussouw (0) and captain JP Duminy (6) were not among these as both fell cheaply to leave South Africa 20 for two in the sixth over.
The right-handed Amla revived the innings in a 106-run, third wicket stand with Behardien, striking 10 fours and a six in an 83-ball knock. He was eventually lbw to leg-spinner Damion Jacobs in the 29th over, during a period when South Africa lost three wickets for 25 runs to slip to 151 for five in the 31st over
Morris then added 47 for the sixth wicket with Trinidadian Stephen Katwaroo (21), who turned out for the Proteas before Abbott and Phangiso put on 69 for the eighth wicket.
In reply, the President’s XI lost captain Kraigg Brathwaite (9) and Test teammate Jermaine Blackwood (7) cheaply before Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer combined in an exciting 90-run partnership for the third wicket.
Lewis hammered six fours and four sixes while Hetmyer, the successful Under-19 West Indies captain, stroked 29 from 45 balls with four fours.
With the rain on their way, Hetmyer was bowled by leg-spinner Imran Tahir in the 24th over.
The Tri-Nations Series, which also involves Australia, runs from June 3-26 in Guyana, St Kitts and Barbados.
SCOREBOARD
SOUTH AFRICA
R Rossouw b Emrit 0
H Amla lbw b Jacobs 92
*JP Duminy b Johnson 6
F Behardien b Miller 36
W Parnell c Emrit b Jacobs 11
C Morris c Hetmyer b Jacobs 31
+S Katwaroo c and b Jacobs 21
K Abbott c Blackwood b Emrit 43
A Phangiso not out 34
K Rabado c McCarthy b Joseph 2
Imran Tahir not out 0
Extras (w4) 4
TOTAL (9 wkts, 50 overs) 280
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-20, 3-126, 4-146, 5-151, 6-198, 7-203, 8-272, 9-276.
Bowling: Emrit 10-0-72-2, Johnson 10-0-35-1, Joseph 10-0-68-1, Miller 10-0-52-1, Jacobs 10-0-53-4.
WICB PRESIDENT’S XI
*K Brathwaite c Amla b Abbott 9
E Lewis not out 71
J Blackwood c wkp Katwaroo b Rabado 7
S Hetmyer b Tahir 29
A McCarthy not out 0
Extras (lb6, w4, nb1) 11
TOTAL (3 wkts, 24.1 overs) 127
Did not bat: J Mohammed, +S Dowrich, R Emrit, N Miller, D Johnson, J Jagessar.
Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-36, 3-126.
Bowling: Abbott 4-0-11-1, Rabado 5-1-13-1, Parnell 4-0-35-0, Morris 3-1-18-0, Duminy 2-0-21-0, Imran Tahir 4-0-15-1, Phangiso 2.1-0-8-0.
Result: Match tied (D/L method).
Notes: Rain stopped play after 24.1 overs)
Player-of-the-Match: Hashim Amla.
Toss: South Africa.
Umpires: N Duguid, L Reifer Jr.