Carl Hooper

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) -- West Indian skipper, Carl Hooper, slammed a 69-ball century as the West Indies gained an impressive 142-run win over Griqualand West in a World Cup warm-up match in Kimberley yesterday.

Playing in a day-night match, as they will in the tournament's opening match against hosts, South Africa, on Sunday, the West Indies piled up 360 for four in their 50 overs against the team which finished runners-up in South Africa's domestic limited overs competition.

Opening batsman, Wavell Hinds, hit 96 off 83 balls and Ramnaresh Sarwan hit 80 off 87, with the pair sharing a 90-run third wicket stand before Hooper cut loose, hitting nine fours and two sixes.

He and Ricardo Powell (34 not out) scored 75 in an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand off the last 6.3 overs of the innings.

Marlon Samuels, the West Indies batsman who was withdrawn from the squad on medical advice after suffering a knee injury, seems set to return to the team after a new medical report passed him fit. He had already been replaced by Ryan Hinds.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh gained a morale-boosting five wicket win over a below-strength KwaZulu-Natal in a day-night match in Durban, where they start their World Cup campaign against Canada on Tuesday. Ehsanul Haque starred, hitting 92 runs.

Unfancied Namibia followed up a win over Gauteng Tuesday by defeating Northerns by seven runs at Laudium, near Pretoria.

As against Gauteng, they came up against an under-strength side but good bowling by Bjorn Kotze (four for 32) and Louis Burger (three for 28) enabled them to defend a low total of 189 for nine after they won the toss.

Scores in brief:

In Kimberley: West Indies 360-4 in 50 overs (W Hinds 96, R Sarwan 80, C Hooper 100 not out, R Powell 34 not out). Griqualand West 218-6 in 50 overs (M Gidley 40, A McLaren 55, W Bossenger 39 not out). West Indies won by 142 runs.

In Laudium, Pretoria: Namibia 189/9 in 50 overs (A Burger 32, S Burger 47 not out, Q Karemaker 3-29). Northerns 182 in 48.4 overs (L Burger 3-28, B Kotze 4-32). Namibia won by 7 runs.

In Durban: KwaZulu-Natal 251-6 in 50 overs (M Saunders 64, H. Amla 76, D Benkentein 35, Alok Kapali 3-70). Bangladesh 252-5 in 46.1 overs (Al Sahariar 68, Ehsanul Haque 92). Bangladesh won by 5 wickets.

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