Ramdin ton provides more cheer

West Indians 534 for 8 dec (Morton 201, Ramdin 131) drew with MCC 260 and 64 for 5
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Ball-by-ball details

Chris Gayle warms up... with a football ... before the last day's play © MCC/Clare Skinner

West Indies had the best part of the draw against MCC at the Racecourse Ground in Durham, with some performances that will give them a boost ahead of the third Test on Thursday.

Following Runako Morton's double-century on the second day, it was the turn of Denesh Ramdin to make some much-needed runs. He struck 131 from 163 balls, before edging through off Ruel Brathwaite to prompt Daren Ganga's declaration at 534 for 8. It was an assured innings, simply picking off the bad balls and rotating the strike where necessary.

Jerome Taylor contributed a useful 35, before being stumped by Paul Dixey to hand Simon Butler his third wicket.West Indies then had MCC five down with 64 on the board before stumps.

MCC began their second innings 274 in arrears and were soon in trouble with Ireland's William Porterfield making a second-ball duck, edging Daren Powell to Ramdin. Daren Sammy, though, was the pick, with 2 for 14 from his 6 overs, while there was also a wicket for Jerome Taylor, who showed the same control he had in the first innings, where he picked up five wickets.

A good crowd turned out to witness the day, including lots of students who had finished their exams basking in the sunshine. MCC may not have provided much of a stiff test for West Indies over the last three days - the visitors know that sterner examinations lie ahead.

Nevertheless, Ramdin was very pleased with his highest first-class score. "I needed to spend some time at the crease," he said. "I knew once I spent the first hour out there things would be easy afterwards."

And he revealed that he's been working on a few aspects of his keeping which he believes will stand him in good stead. "I have been working with some specially designed swinging balls and taped up balls and I have been doing a lot better now in terms of my wicketkeeping," he said. "I have kept wicket in Australia where the pitches are bouncy so I think I am able to keep wicket on bouncy tracks such as Old Trafford."