Windies ‘A’ stutter against Lions
West Indies ‘A’ failed in their bid for a second successive whitewash when they went down to England Lions by seven wickets, in the third and final one-dayer on Sunday night. Chasing a modest 167 for victory at Coolidge Cricket Ground, the visitors reached their target in the 32nd over, to complete their first success of the tour after losing the two previous matches in the series and all three four-day “Tests”.
Sam Hain, in only his third match for the Lions, led the run chase with an unbeaten 54, while Alex Davies got 46 and opener Nick Gubbins, 34.
With only a small total to overhaul, Davies and Gubbins ensured there were no hiccups up front when they posted 87 off 70 deliveries for the first wicket.
Davies struck five fours and a couple of sixes off 36 balls, while the left-handed Gubbins faced 39 deliveries and counted six fours.
BREAKTHROUGH
Off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall (2-26) got the breakthrough when he had Gubbins caught in the deep, pulling a long hop in the 12th over, and it triggered a slide where three wickets went down quickly for four runs in the space of 12 balls.
Davies followed in the next over, caught behind attempting to reverse hit left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer, and captain Keaton Jennings completed a miserable series when he was lbw to Cornwall without scoring.
With their side stuttering on 91 for three in the 14th, Hain and Sam Northeast, who finished 12 not out, came together in an unbroken 79-run, fourth-wicket stand to deny Windies A any further success.
Hain followed up his hundred in the opener by striking five fours and a six in a 63-ball knock, while Northweast faced 51 deliveries and struck two fours.
Earlier, Test batsman Roston Chase top-scored with 67 but Windies A could only manage 166 all out in the 39th over.