Sarwan’s second ton saves President’s men

Rawl Lewis, with an innings of 62 and Sylvester Joseph, with a knock of 51, gave Sarwan essential support to erase any possibility of an outright win for zimbabwe, whose bowlers toiled on a benign pitch at the Guaracara Park here.

Sarwan batted for close to four hours, faced 178 balls and struck 16 fours and two sixes before being adjudged lbw to be one of three wickets for fast-medium bowler Henry Olonga.

Overnight 118 for three, the President’s XI reached 231 for four at lunch. They lost test batsman Daren Ganga early in the morning period, bowled by Olonga for 41.

Striking the ball with crisp assurance, Sarwan and Sylvester, who also scored a century in the first innings, posted a century stand for the fifth wicket before lunch.

Both batsmen flourished after the interval to share an enterprising 140-run stand before Joseph was removed by Grant Flower’s left-arm spin. The Leeward Islander batted clsoe to three hours and struck seven fours and one six.

Captain Courtney Browne, fell lbw to leg-spin bowler Brian Murphy for nought to raise Zimbabwe’s hope, but President’s XI gave their opponents a taste of their own medicine as the lower-half of the batting rallied. Positioned at 320 for six at tea, the President’s XI lost Sarwan shortly after the break, after he and Lewis added 62 for the seventh wicket.

Olonga had Marlon Black adjudged lbw first ball, but Cameron Cuffy avoided the hat-trick, then proceeded to add 58 for the ninth-wicket with Lewis and 28 for the last wicket with Goldwyn Prince.

The match was Zimbabwe’s final dress-rehearsal before the opening test against West Indies at Queen’s Park Oval in the capital Port-Of-Spain, starting on Thursday.