Perkins' hundred leads Windies to win over USA

West Indies 302-7 (50 overs, W.Perkins 133, Gajanand Singh 65); USA 215 (45.4 overs, H.Punoo 65). West Indies won by 87 runs.

An excellent hundred by West Indies opener William Perkins was the highlight of their 87-run win over tournament newcomers the United States of America in the Group B encounter at the Nondescripts Cricket Club on Monday.

Perkins led the way with a superb 133 from only 150 balls and he found active support from Jason Mohammed (45) and Gajanand Singh (65).

That trio helped the West Indies recover from a shaky start when they slipped to 8-2 and they ended up reaching a substantial 302-7.

But even that imposing score might not have been enough if the USA had been able to take advantage of the Caribbean side's struggles with the white ball.

The West Indies conceded a massive 55 extras, including 39 wides, and that contribution, together with a brutal 65 from 52 balls by USA captain Hemant Punoo kept the result in doubt longer than might otherwise have been the case.

West Indies manager Jimmy Adams said his side had a real problem in controlling the ball's swing and he admitted afterwards: "We have some serious work to do.

"I have seen it happen with much more experienced bowlers than these lads but we really kept the USA in the hunt with all the extras.

"In fact a more experienced side may have taken advantage of that and walked to victory against us.

"We will have to put our heads together to come up with some plans to try and help the situation," he added.

If that was the downside for the West Indies, the positives were the side's batting and the formation of partnerships, so often a crucial factor in building a massive score.

Perkins and Mohammed added 124 for the third wicket and then Perkins and Singh added a further 131 for the fourth wicket as the USA bowlers toiled in the heat.

Perkins hit 16 fours in his innings, which spanned two minutes short of three hours, an impressive effort in roasting conditions.

"He batted well and kept the innings together," said Adams, "And Gajanand Singh has got a really good head on his young shoulders because he is a good worker of the ball into gaps.

"He can manipulate it around and it is great to have him around in the closing overs."

The West Indies lost two quick wickets to Dominic Audain after they decided to bat but after that the bat dominated the ball in emphatic fashion.

Singh took advantage of a tiring attack to lift the tempo. His 65 came from only 53 balls and included six fours and three sixes.

Punoo used eight bowlers in an attempt to stem the flow of runs and Audain and Mrunal Patel (2-22) were the most successful of them. Punoo and Alexandrino Kirton captured one wicket each.

It all added up to an unhappy day for USA coach Larry Gomes, who played Test and ODI cricket for the West Indies in the 1970s and 1980s.

The two sides are part of Group B that also includes Australia and South Africa, who played each other on Sunday when Australia won by 175 runs.

Only two sides can progress to the Super League quarter-finals that are played on Saturday.