POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa, CMC – Captain Floyd Reifer stroked a half-century and wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton smashed his second successive fifty, as West Indies easily beat North West Dragons at the Potch Dorp Cricket Club yesterday.
Playing in their second unofficial warm-up match ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, West Indies rattled up 345 all out off their 50 overs, their second consecutive total over 300 in three days.
In response, North West Dragons could only reach 242 for nine with medium pacer Darren Sammy snaring three for 33 and Royston Crandon (2-32) and Gavin Tonge (2-54) taking two wickets apiece.
Sent in to bat, West Indies were led by Reifer who top scored with 79 from 76 balls while Walton cracked 69 from 56 balls, to record yet another half-century after a similar score in the opening game against Cape Cobras on Saturday.
West Indies were in trouble early when they lost flashy, teenaged opener Kieran Powell without scoring with the total on five but his partner Andre Fletcher and Travis Dowlin stroked contrasting half-centuries to pull their side around with a 97-run, second wicket stand.
While the attacking Fletcher hammered 52 from 53 balls with seven fours and two sixes, Dowlin, made a careful 57 from 73 balls with seven fours.
When the visitors lost three wickets to slide to 140 for four, Reifer and Walton revived the innings with attractive knocks, in posting 131 off 99 balls for the fifth wicket.
The left-handed Reifer smashed six fours and four sixes while Walton carved out four fours and three sixes, but the main feature of the stand was the superb running between the wickets. Sammy, the side’s vice captain then bolstered the lower order with a brilliant 44 from just 19 balls which included five sixes and a four as West Indies closed off their innings with momentum.
North West Dragons got off to a good start with Andrea Agathageloy (29) and Jimmy Kgamadi (44) adding 70 for the first wicket but a clatter of wickets saw them crash to 150 for five, a position from which they never recovered.
Only Christiaan Jonker with 51, Brett Pelser, 43, and Martinus Lazenby, 27, showed any resistance as the trio of Sammy, Crandon and Tonge tore through the Dragons’ innings.
West Indies will now play official warm-up matches against South Africa on Friday at Senwes Park before facing Sri Lanka two days later at LC de Villiers Oval in Pretoria.
The Caribbean side will open their Champions Trophy against Pakistan on September 23.
