A pair of half centuries enabled the University of West Indies’ Vice Chancellor’s XI to earn a draw with South Africa on Sunday, the final day of their two-day friendly at the Sir Frank Worrell park at the St Augustine campus.
Habibul Bashar and Shikhan Dhawan led the Vice Chancellor’s XI to 250 for five, replying to South Africa’s 395 for six declared when stumps were drawn.
Bashar struck an unbeaten 77, while captain Ridley Jacobs was not out on 28 as the match petered out. The 18-year-old Dhawan scored 66.
The home side lost two early wickets to slip to 52 for two, before Dhawan and Marlon Samuels stepped in to rally the innings.
Dhawan led the proceedings with a spate of boundaries in his 86-ball innings. In all, he struck 14 boundaries and was fourth man out with the score on 142.
Samuels reached 36 before he was beaten and bowled by Nicky Boje, the stand-in South African skipper.
Once they departed, Jacobs and Bashar took over, adding an unbroken stand of 95 to ensure the Vice Chancellor’s team a draw.
Earlier, opener Boeta Dippenaar completed his 184 for South Africa and earned the Man of the Match honours.
Left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed of Trinidad and Tobago claimed five for 115, troubling all batsmen with his two-way spin. He claimed all three wickets to fall on Sunday morning after South Africa resumed its overnight score of 349 for three.
Dippenaar fell 16 runs short of his double hundred when he became Mohammed’s fifth victim.
Mark Boucher, who resumed on 53, fell for 64, while Jacques Kallis made 17 before he too became a victim of Mohammed.
The declaration eventually came when Dippenaar fell attempting a pull on the on-side, only to be caught by Dhawan at square leg. In all he spent 387 minutes at the crease, faced 278 balls and struck huge sixes to go along with 21 boundaries. – Sapa-AP