Big scare for Hinds at Festival

Donovan Pagon on the go during his knock of 60 for Courtney Walsh's XI in yesterday's Milo/Melbourne Festival at Melbourne Oval. Wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jnr. looks on. Walsh's XI beat Robert Samuel's XI by 26 runs. - Junior Dowie

JAMAICA and West Indies middle order batsman Wavell Hinds had a big scare while batting at the Milo/Melbourne Festival at Melbourne Oval yesterday.

Hinds, a member of the West Indies squad to tour Sri Lanka next month, was hit on the nose by a vicious delivery from former West Indies fast bowler and present selector Joel "Big Bird" Garner.

The Jamaica batsman who replaced an injured Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the West Indies touring squad tried a pull shot, missed and was hit. Bleeding from the nose he was forced to retire hurt while batting a second time on five after making just one in the first innings.

Hinds, who was batting without a helmet, was taken to hospital for a precautionary x-ray and is expected to return to the doctor today.

Meanwhile a century from West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle was the highlight of the Festival but in a losing effort as Courtney Walsh's X1 defeated Robert Samuel's X1 by 26 runs. Final scores in the one-day two-innings match were Walsh's X1 342 and Robert Samuel's X1 317.

The match was played in two innings with each team batting for two innings of 20 overs each.

Walsh's X1 batting first made 342 with Gareth Breese 77, Donovan Pagon 60, Richie Richardson with a stroke-filled 58 (seven fours and three sixes) and Keith Hibbert 39 getting most runs. Andre McCarthy 2-58 off six overs, Joel Garner 1-27 from 10 overs, Jermaine Lawson 1-36, Colin Stewart 1-43 from four and Ian Bishop 0-72 off six overs.

When Robert Samuel's X1 batted they managed 317. Leading the way were Gayle 107, with 12 fours and three sixes. He was supported by Aubrey Wollaston 76, Marlon Samuels 52, and Colin Stewart 19 against Breese 4-74, Richardson 3-34, Walsh, after bowling four overs of pace for 36 runs, came back to bowl spin to end with 2-38. Curtly Ambrose was wicketless.

Former West Indies Test player Lawrence Rowe failed to take the field.

"I was injured before I got here, I was asked to turn up to participate in the Festival regardless of an injury that I got playing in a cricket game before I came down. That's basically the reason why I could not play today," the man rated as one of the best batsmen produced by the West Indies said. He now lives in the United States.

Rowe, the first player to make a double 100 and 100 on debut, told the Gleaner that he will be back next year to participate.

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