EAST LONDON, South Africa (AFP) - Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul hit half-centuries to lift an otherwise disappointing West Indian batting display against Border at Buffalo Park.
Lara (81) and Chanderpaul (98) made the bulk of a West Indian total of 278 all out. Opening bowler Tyron Henderson took five for 57 for the provincial side, who replied with 68 for two at the end of the first day of a four-day match.
Lara vowed before the game that the West Indies would be seeking a win against Border to get the side into winning mode ahead of the second Test against South Africa starting in Durban on December 26. South Africa won the first Test in Johannesburg by 189 runs.
The West Indian captain, who has been in top form during the tour, hitting a double century in the first Test, showed his intentions by opening the batting and playing another high-quality innings.
Chanderpaul, who top-scored with 74 in the second innings of the Test and made a double century in a warm-up game, continued to show form but other top-order batsmen like Wavell Hinds and Ramnaresh Sarwan failed to take the chance to notch up good scores.
Henderson, 29, bowled at a lively pace after Border sent the tourists in on a pitch which offered the seamers some early help.
Lara hit 81 off 135 balls with 16 fours before going down the wicket to left-arm slow bowler Pieter Strydom and playing across the line to be bowled.
Chanderpaul was on 78 when the ninth wicket fell and made all 20 runs in a last-wicket stand with Fidel Edwards before mistiming a low full toss from Strydom to midwicket. He faced 121 balls and hit 19 fours.
There were 19 extras in the total, which meant the other nine batsmen contributed just 80 runs, including hard-hitting contributions of 22 by Dwayne Smith, playing in his first match for a West Indian side after joining the tour as a replacement, and 29 by reserve wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh.
Border opening batsmen Mark Bruyns and Michael Smith started confidently but both fell before the close.
Replacement fast bowler Adam Sanford bowled Bruyns for 26 while left-arm wrist spinner Dave Mohammed, another replacement and the only specialist spinner in the party, struck in the last over of the day with his fourth ball of the tour when Smith (32) was caught at slip.