DERBY, England (CMC) – Half-centuries from senior players Rovman Powell and Jason Mohammed were not enough to save West Indies from an 87-run defeat to England Lions in their opening match of the Tri-Nations Series here yesterday.
Asked to chase 319 at County Ground, West Indies were dismissed for 231 in the 45th over, with Powell top-scoring with 55 and captain Mohammed getting 52.
Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood stroked 40 while opening partner Chandrapaul Hemraj scored 35 and tail-ender Dominic Drakes, 28.
The Caribbean side were well poised on 142 for three in the 29th over at one stage but lost their last seven wickets for 89 wickets, as the innings fell away badly.
Windies-A were undermined by left-arm spinner Liam Dawson who claimed four for 27 while Barbados-born England seamer Chris Jordan (3-25) and left-arm quick Reece Topley (3-54) picked up three wickets apiece.
Lions had earlier chalked up 318 for five off their 50 overs, on the backs of a superb unbeaten 145 from Sam Hain and half-centuries Tom Kohler-Cadmore (67) and Steven Mullaney (58).
Nick Gubbins, who struck a hundred on Friday against India A, fell to the fifth ball of the contest without scoring, edging seamer Chemar Holder to be caught at the wicket with a single run on the board.
Hain then anchored the innings with two crucial stands, putting on 148 for the second wicket with Kohler-Cadmore before adding a further 95 for the fifth wicket with Mullaney.
All told, the 22-year-old Hain faced 134 balls and struck 16 boundaries.
West Indies started positively with Blackwood and Hemraj posting 50 off 53 balls for the first wicket.
Blackwood struck five fours in a 33-ball knock while the left-handed Hemraj faced 44 deliveries and counted four fours and a six.
Jordan broke the stand in a double-wicket maiden in his opening over, claiming Blackwood to a catch at the wicket and then bowling Devon Thomas first ball.
Hemraj added 49 with Mohammed but the promising partnership ended in the 19th over when he missed a sweep at Dawson and was lbw.
Mohammed, who faced 74 balls and struck five fours and a six, put on 43 for the fourth wicket with Sunil Ambris (8) but four wickets tumbled for 23 runs to leave the Caribbean side rocking on 165 for seven in the 35th over.
Powell, who belted a pair of fours and sixes in a 50-innings, provided the last real hope for the Windies when he partnered with Drakes in a 55-run, eighth-wicket stand before he was last out.