SHENLEY, England - Three days before the start of their Test series with England, Shivnarine Chanderpaul made a welcome return to form with an unbeaten 104 and Sylvester Joseph kept the pressure on the selectors with a half-century as the West Indies' three-day match against Sri Lanka "A" ended in a draw yesterday.
West Indies were 283 for five in their second innings when the match came to an end, after acting captain Ramnaresh Sarwan declined to enforce the follow-on when the Sri Lankans were eventually dismissed for 346 midway through the morning session, giving the Caribbean side a healthy first innings lead of 188.
With West Indies opting for batting practice rather than any remote prospects of victory on a placid Denis Compton Oval pitch, Thilan Thushara's pace and bounce almost upset their plans for Test preparation as he single-handedly reduced West Indies to 70 for three.
Chanderpaul, however, found a solid partner in Joseph, the pair adding 130 for the fourth wicket with a minimum of fuss before the aggressive right-hander failed to read the googly from part- time wrist-spinner Bathiya Perera and was LBW for 68.
Coming on the heels of an even more impressive 114 in the first innings, Joseph has done almost all that could be asked of him in his first match of the tour.
Despite a match tally of 182 runs, it will not be surprising if Joseph is still left waiting to make his Test debut, particularly as West Indies are concerned about the depth of their bowling for the four-Test duel with England.
But for a rousing, boundary-filled innings in a warm-up limited-overs match against Sussex, Chanderpaul had previously endured a terrible tour, compiling just 89 from five innings in the NatWest Series and then scratching out 10 runs in two innings last week against the MCC at Arundel.
With conditions tailor- made for batting, the 29-year-old left-hander looked set for lengthy occupation of the crease on the opening day before he was run out for 32.
Clearly he was not in the mood to let another opportunity slip from his grasp. His lack of timing and rhythm was evident in the early stages of his innings, as he laboured for almost two hours, facing 55 balls, before striking his first boundary.
Three more fours followed in quick succession and with the Sri Lankans also easing off by turning to a series of occasional bowlers, Chanderpaul was able to pick off the frequent half-volleys and long-hops with increasing authority.
By the post-tea session, he was in full flow and given his determined mood, a first hundred of the tour never looked out of the question.
He duly achieved it in the final over before the match was called off, accumulating his runs off 145 deliveries with 13 fours.
Joseph would have been disappointed not to complete his second century of the match, but on this form, his debut Test cannot be too far away, even if he does not get the opportunity come Thursday morning at Lord's. His 68 came off 108 deliveries with two sixes and six fours, all played with assured fluency, timing and power.
The stand with Chanderpaul actually saved the West Indies some embarrassment as the top order looked vulnerable to Thushara's hostility, a worrying sign with the likes of Steve Harmison raring to go in England's defence of the Wisden Trophy.
Sarwan, opening the batting as he did on the first day, was bowled behind his legs for seven by a delivery that brushed his left forearm and knocked the leg-stump out of the ground.
Devon Smith, one of three first innings century-makers, got to 15 when he top-edged a hook to long-leg, while Dwayne Smith blazed 37 off 43 balls with seven boundaries before gloving a catch to wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene as he tried to avoid a well-lined short ball.
But hopes for some unexpected drama quickly dissipated in pleasant afternoon conditions with Joseph joining Chanderpaul in blunting the threat of Thushara, the only bowler who looked capable on the day of causing the West Indies any significant discomfort.
Joseph's dismissal offered Dwayne Bravo the opportunity to get some more runs, yet he could only add seven to his first innings 118 when Perera deceived him into offering a return catch.
New batsman Omari Banks crashed almost everything within reach with typical gusto, racing to 25 not out with one six and four fours, but by that stage the limelight was all Chanderpaul's and he did not disappoint.
Earlier, Tino Best picked up three of the last four Sri Lankan wickets to finish with four for 47, as Jayawardene was left unbeaten on 48.
For West Indies however, the fact that the opposition's runs were scored at a rate of almost five runs-an-over will be a real concern heading into the Test series.