Sarwan, Russell lead West Indies to win

Ramnaresh Sarwan rescued West Indies from a poor start © Getty Images Enlarge

Ramnaresh Sarwan made a composed hundred, and Andre Russell and Kemar Roach combined to take seven wickets, to give the West Indies a 61-win over Kenya in their World Cup warm-up match at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Sarwan was not selected for the original tour of Sri Lanka last year because of concerns about his fitness, before being named in the World Cup squad, but this innings should put to rest any lingering doubts about his readiness for international cricket. Sarwan came to the crease with the West Indies in a spot of bother at 32 for 2, with Thomas Odoyo having removed openers Devon Smith and Adrian Barath inside the first 10 overs. Darren Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul followed their team-mates back to the pavilion with only 65 on the board, but Dwayne Bravo stuck around long enough to make a half-century, and together with Sarwan added 94 for the fifth wicket to steady the innings.

Bravo eventually fell to Steve Tikolo for 54, but Sarwan batted through the 50-overs - he was run-out off the last ball of the innings - to make 123, and take West Indies to a defendable total. Sarwan struck 11 fours and five sixes in his 125-ball knock.

Kenya began confidently with opener Seren Waters making 43 and Collins Obuya 68, but they were always behind the required run-rate, and when Darren Sammy bowled Tikolo for 15, it sparked a middle order collapse. Roach bowled Obuya and trapped Maurice Ouma leg before, before Russell polished off the tail to make sure there would be no repeat of Kenya's famous victory in the 1996 World Cup.