AUCKLAND, New Zealand (CMC):

Ramnaresh Sarwan stroked an entertaining century and Sewnarine Chattergoon narrowly missed out on another, but the West Indies middle-order failed to capitalise on a good batting track on the final day of their drawn three-day tour match against Auckland yesterday.

The elegant Sarwan scored a superb 158 before retiring as the West Indies, replying to Auckland's mammoth 587 for seven, finished the day at 431 for seven at Eden Park Outer Oval.

Sarwan slammed 23 fours and two sixes, facing 198 balls in an innings that lasted 276 minutes, to record his 26th first class century and his first on New Zealand soil.

Opener Sewnarine Chattergoon fell just short of three figures when he was disappointingly dismissed for 93, but no other batsmen got 50 on a wicket tailor-made for batting.

Wickets lost

In fact, when Sarwan retired with the Windies cruising at 336 for three, the other Windies batsmen failed to muster any enterprise and the regional side lost their next four wickets for 65 runs as the innings fell away.

Leon Johnson (3) failed to make any headway, while Shivnarine Chanderpaul (22) and Brendan Nash (23) both got starts but failed to carry on.

Denesh Ramdin, leading the side in Chris Gayle's absence, finished unbeaten on an attractive 37 from 45 balls at the end.

The day belonged to Sarwan, however. Just days after stepping down from the team's vice-captaincy, the 28-year-old stepped up to the plate to join the run spree started by Auckland on the previous two days of the match.

Entering the fray when opener Xavier Marshall was dismissed after adding just two to his overnight 45, Sarwan emerged from a cautious start to plunder the Auckland bowling.

Unbeaten on 19 from 63 balls at the luncheon interval with the Windies on 144 for one, Sarwan flourished thereafter. He needed just another 31 balls to reach his half-century, scoring at a run-a-ball and striking seven fours.

A run-a-ball

He then raced to his second fifty, also at a run-a-ball, to reach three figures by tea with the West Indies looking ominous at 268 for three.

Sarwan continued to bat with merry abandon in the post-tea session and his third 50 required a mere 46 balls and contained eight fours, as he raised his 150.

The former West Indies captain shared a 116-run stand for the second wicket with Chattergoon, who also seemed set for three figures before falling just before tea.