file - Shivnarine Chanderpaul ...top-scored for WI with 44

EAST LONDON, South Africa, CMC

A ferocious Shaun Pollock half century and brilliant fielding near the end, propelled the Makhaya Ntini XI to a five-wicket win over West Indies in their rain-aborted limited overs tour match last night.

Ntini's XI piled up 176 for nine off their 25 overs and West Indies had reached 110 for five in the 17th over when heavy rain at Buffalo Park forced a premature finish to the Caribbean side's tour opener.

Pollock had stroked a blazing 54 to power Ntini XI's batting then with rain threatening and a tight battle ensuing when the West Indies were chasing, Herschelle Gibbs and retired international Jonty Rhodes were dazzling in the field and muffled the West Indies' bid for quick runs at the crucial closing stages.

"It was building up to be a real cliff-hanger and it is a bit of a shame the rain had to come in when it did," West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo said after the game.

The home side had scored briskly after choosing to bat, but kept losing wickets regularly — from the third over when Tyron Henderson (3) was run-out with 22 runs on the board.

good running catch

The run-rate at that time was nearing a whopping nine, due mainly to Gibbs, the dashing 33-year-old shotmaker.

Gibbs lashed 17 off just 10 balls with two fours and a six before fast bowler Fidel Edwards spectacularly bowled him - scattering his stumps - at 29 for two in the fourth over.

Left-arm pacer Pedro Collins struck in the next over to remove Mark Boucher - caught behind - before the wicket-keeper/batsman had scored.

The experienced Jacques Kallis thumped three fours and two sixes in a 20-ball knock of 27 before Bravo sent him back, caught behind at 66 for four in the 10th over

Darren Sammy then struck two quick blows when he dislodged Rhodes (25) and Pieter Strydom (0) with successive balls in the 13th over as Ntini's side dipped to 93 for six. Edwards then took a good running catch at long-on to remove Paul Adams (7) off leg-spinner Rawl Lewis at 106 for seven in the 16th over.

Ntini linked up with Pollock and the former South Africa captain accelerated the late-innings run charge with aggressive hitting.

Pollock smashed three sixes and two fours, and Ntini stayed with him as they registered an innings best partnership of 52 for the eighth wicket that ended when Pollock lofted Edwards to Collins at long-off.

Pollock only faced 40 balls in his knock of 54 and equalled Kallis' strike rate of 135.00.

Marlon Samuels yorked Ntini (14) in the penultimate over and Mfuneko Ngam (5) and Yanda Pangabantu (4) were the not out batsmen at the end.

Edwards returned figures of two for 23 off his five overs at a team-best economy rate of 4.60, and medium pacer Sammy ended with two for 25 off his five overs.

Like the Ntini XI, West Indies lost their first wicket in the third over.

Pollock trapped Brenton Parchment (5) leg before wicket and the out-of-form Devon Smith went soon after, run out for 11 in the fifth over at 18 for two in the fifth over.

It became 34 for three when Ngam dislodged Samuels (5) caught behind in the seventh over, and Denesh Ramdin went next for 20, bowled by Henderson at 65 for four in the 11th over as the fast bowlers threatened to rip through the Caribbean side's middle order.

But the dependable Shivnarine Chanderpaul kept up West Indies hopes with a shot-filled 44 off 27 balls.