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West Indies middle-order batsman Shivnarine 'Tiger' Chanderpaul ... the man to beat for Cricketer of the Year?

EAST LONDON, South Africa (CMC):

A ferocious Shaun Pollock half century and brilliant fielding near the end propelled the Makhaya Ntini XI to a five-wicket win over West Indies in their rain-aborted limited overs tour match yesterday (Friday night South Africa time).

Ntini's XI piled up 176 for nine off their 25 overs and West Indies had reached 110 for five in the 17th over when heavy rain at Buffalo Park forced a premature finish to the Caribbean side's tour opener.

Pollock had stroked a blazing 54 to power Ntini XI's batting, then with rain threatening and a tight battle ensuing when the West Indies were chasing, Herschelle Gibbs and retired international Jonty Rhodes were dazzling in the field and muffled the West Indies' bid for quick runs at the crucial closing stages.

"It was building up to be a real cliffhanger and it is a bit of a shame the rain had to come in when it did," West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo said after the game.

The home side had scored briskly after choosing to bat, but kept losing wickets regularly - from the third over when Tyron Henderson (3) was run out with 22 runs on the board. The run rate at that time was nearing a whopping nine, due mainly to Gibbs, the dashing 33-year-old shot-maker.

Gibbs lashed 17 off just 10 balls with two fours and a six before fast bowler Fidel Edwards spectacularly bowled him - scattering his stumps - at 29 for two in the fourth over.

Like the Ntini XI, West Indies lost their first wicket in the third over. Pollock trapped Brenton Parchment (5) leg before wicket and the out-of-form Devon Smith went soon after, run out for 11 in the fifth over at 18 for two in the fifth over. It became 34 for three when Ngam dislodged Samuels (5)caught behind in the seventh over, and Denesh Ramdin went next for 20, bowled by Henderson at 65 for four in the 11th over as the fast bowlers threatened to rip through the Caribbean side's middle-order. But the dependable Shivnarine Chanderpaul kept up West Indies hopes with a shot-filled 44 off 27 balls.

Chanderpaul, who was this week named Guyana's 2007 Cricketer-of-the-Year, belted six fours and one six before Adams snatched a return catch to avenge a severe beating he had taken from the West Indies' most experienced batsman.

In the last six balls the spinner had delivered to Chanderpaul before his dismissal, the left-hander had flogged him for three fours and six.

When Chanderpaul departed at the end of the 14th over with the score on 101 for five, Runako Morton joined Bravo with West Indies needing 76 runs to win from 66 balls.

Big shots going nowhere

With rain drizzling and showers threatening, Bravo and Morton tried to quicken the scoring rate with big shots but kept failing to pierce the field, often finding Gibbs and Rhodes in the way.

Just after 9:00 p.m., the showers became too intense and chased the players off the field after 16.2 overs of the West Indies innings in the fixture that kicked off Ntini's benefit year, hosted by the Border Cricket Club. Bravo and Morton added just nine runs off the last 14 balls of the match.