West Indies middle-order batsman Marlon Samuels salutes the crowd after his 100 retired against Kenya in the ICC Cricket World Cup warm-up match at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium yesterday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

The West Indies, led by Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, Daren Powell and Corey Collymore, tuned up for the World Cup tournament scheduled to begin at Sabina Park in eight days time with a scintillating performance in the first of four warm-up matches at Trelawny's new Multi-Purpose stadium in Falmouth yesterday.

On a brown, bone dry pitch, on a lush, green outfield, under a clear, blue sky, and with the calm waters of the Caribbean Sea out in the distance to the north of the stadium, in a match involving 13 players from each side and with Lendl Simmons doing duty as the home team's wicketkeeper, the West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first. Then Gayle, 75, and Samuels, 100 retired, entertained a lively gathering with some superb batting and with pacers Powell and Collymore bowling well and picking up two wickets each, the West Indies danced to 268 for six off their allotted 50 overs before limiting Kenya to 247 for seven off their 50 overs.

Batting for Kenya, right-arm leg-spinner-turn batsmen Collins Obuya, Ravindu Shah and captain Steve Tikolo impressed while scoring 54 not out, 41 and 35 respectivelyand medium-pacer Thomas Odoyo did likewise with the ball while picking up two for 26 off six overs.

After starting on a promising note when, after two maiden overs, Odoyo beat Shivnarine Chanderpaul off the pitch and had the experienced left-hander caught at second slip by Tikolo for zero at three for one in the third over of the innings, Kenya's bowlers, but for Odoyo, were put to the sword as first Gayle and then Samuels enjoyed themselves in the morning's sunshine.

With Devon Smith as his partner, the left-handed Gayle blasted one six and nine fours in an innings which lasted for 86 deliveries before, in attempting an audacious stroke, in going for a reverse sweep, he was bowled by left-arm spinner Hiren Varaiya at 131 for three.

Domination

Before that Smith, driving at Rajesh Bhudiya, was caught by Peter Ongondo at mid-off for 14 at 61 for two, and after that, Samuels, batting at number four, continued the domination of the West Indies.

A beautiful driver off the front-foot, Samuels was in the pink of form, and following the dismissal of Ramnaresh Sarwan for 27 at 177 for four - the batsman chipping and driving Varaiya straight to Tony Suji at short extra-cover - was at his glorious best and especially so after easing past 50.

In a volley of shots, Samuels chipped and drove Varaiya back over the bowler's head for four, drove Lameck Onyango one bounce to the extra-cover boundary, drove the next delivery straight for six, glided the next to the fine-leg boundary, and in the following over from the pacer he drove over long-on for another six and then drove straight for another four before, after the single that took to the century mark, he jogged off the field at 244 for five in the 46th over.

On a day when captain Brian Lara did not bother to bat, Dwayne Smith pushed the ball around confidently while scoring 22 not out, and newcomer Kieron Pollard reeled off a few powerful strokes before, after scoring 14 and trying to get a few more runs for the West Indies, he skied a catch to wicketkeeper Morris Ouma off the last delivery of the innings.

The West Indies bowlers, headed by Powell and Collymore, were just as dominant and the Kenya batsmen, despite looking fairly good in defence, despite reeling off a few good shots, including a lovely straight drive by Ouma off Powell, a hook off fast bowler Jerome Taylor and a drive to the long-on boundary off Collymore by Tikolo, were easy pickings.

David Obuya was the first to go - caught by Gayle in the slips for seven at 13 for one in the fourth over, the second was Ouma - caught by Gayle in the slips off Powell for 10 at 41 in the 11th over, the third was Malhar Patel - bowled by a beautiful away swinger from Collymore for 12 at 58 in the 15th over, the fourth was Shah - caught by Powell at mid-on off Collymore 93 in the 23rd over, the fifth was Tikolo - trapped leg before by medium-pacer Pollard at 131 in the 30th over, an Collins Obuya, coming in at number and facing 68 deliveries, batted to the end, even though as a warm-up match the result may not have mattered, it was, by then, all over as a contest.

WEST INDIES

(50 overs maximum)

C. Gayle b Varaiya