By BV Swagath
The touring West Indies warmed up ahead of the NatWest ODI Series by crushing Middlesex by a heavy margin of 228 runs in a practice One Dayer at Lord’s.
Asked to bat first after losing the toss, West Indies piled up 335 for 4 in 50 overs. Chris Gayle coming back in the West Indies team helped himself with a breezy 34 (from 30 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes). The real stars for West Indies were Darren Bravo, who smashed 112 (from 112 balls) with 7 fours and 2 sixes and Dwayne Smith, who plundered 96 (from just 81 balls with 10 fours and 2 sixes). Dwayne Bravo gave the finishing touches with a cameo of 40* from 21 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes.
The Middlesex team led by Neil Dexter then had no clue at all in competing in the match as they got bundled out for a paltry 107 in 31 overs. For the West Indies, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell and Chris Gayle took two wickets each.
