Incapacitated Raymon Reifer and gritty Joshua Da Silva combined to help the West Indies fight out a draw in the pink-ball tour match against the Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval.
Chasing 309 for victory after the PM XI’s sporting declaration at 221-4 late on day three, the tourists shut up shop at the fall of the eighth wicket with eight overs to go, finishing on 277-8.
Da Silva (52*) started aggressively before putting up the shutters in the last hour, while Reifer remained unbeaten off 26 scoreless balls.
Not expected to bat due to a groin injury, Reifer did not even look to score, declining even the easiest singles hit to the outfield.
All results were possible when the West Indies entered the dinner break at 221-5, requiring a further 88 runs for victory off a minimum of 31 overs.
The last session started horribly for them when Roston Chase (13) succumbed after just three balls, beaten in flight by Ashton Agar (2-41), miscuing and lofting a catch to Joel Paris at mid-off.
The pendulum swung the tourists’ way when Da Silva and Alzarri Joseph (31) combined for an enterprising 48-run seventh-wicket union.
Joseph, who swung lustily and impressively, was grassed on 24 by Aaron Hardie in the slips before guiding Mark Steketee (3-56) to Michael Neser at gully four overs later.
When Steketee had Kemar Roach (0) gloving a short ball to Peter Handscomb at slip, the West Indies fell to 273-8 and duly parked the bus.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the son of 164-Test legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul, was named Player-of-the-Match for his fine double innings (119 and 56), which should surely earn him a Test debut against Australia at Optus Stadium, starting on November 30. (Cricket Australia)
