SINGAPORE. Sept 8: West Indies' Ricardo Powell stamped his class on the replayed final of the Singa-

pore International Challenge cricket tournament here today, blasting a dazzling innings to hand his team a four-wicket win over India, reports AFP.

Powell smashed 124 off a mere 93 balls as the West Indies romped to victory at the Ka-llang ground here.

India, put in to bat, scored .254 for sixMO their 50 overs;

It was a’ display of merciless

■h ittmg by Powel 1. - -

The 20-year-old Jamaican was playing his fourth international match, having been picked for the West Indies World Cup squad alter Carl Hooper announced his retirement.

The Kallang ground seemed to favour the free-stroking Powell more as he hammered sixes to all parts of the ground.

When Powell arrived at the crease, West Indies looked in complete disarray. Debashis

Mohanty had removed openers Sherwin Campbell and Ridley Jacobs cheaply. Off-spinner Nikhil Chopra added to their woes by getting rid of skipper Brian Lara and Jimmy Adams in successive overs.

That was the launching pad for the young Powell and he rose to the challenge.

His first fifty needed 44 balls and the next fifty only 28. In all he struck nine fours and eight sixes in hiS 124 and was involved in two big stands where he was the dominant partner.

He put on 61 runs for the

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Chandcrpaur. who scored 20 off 48 halls and hit one four.

The decisive fifth wicket stand with Nehemiah Perry was worth 118 off 114 balls and snatched the match away from the Indians, who seemed happy till then after recovering from a disastrous start themselves.

Powell's superlative effort earned him both Man of the Match and Man of the Series awards.

India had breathed a sigh of relief when Tuesday's scheduled ■ final was washed out by a

downpour with them struggling on 149 for six.

But they returned a different side, ripping into the West Indies attack to finish their innings on a competitive 254 for six off 50 overs.

After a slow start, where skipper Sachin Tendulkar was removed in the opening over followed soon afterwards by Sadagoppan Ramesh with the total at 27-2. Dravid and Saurav Ganguly steadied the ship.

The pair added 78 for the third wicket before Ganguly holed out to long-on trying to clear the boundary'in' search of his half-century.

Ganguly's replacement Vinod Kambli did not last long, but a swashbuckling stand with Nikhil Chopra gave India the chance to go past the 250-mark.

Dravid had kept his end up right through and even let Chopra dominate the strike as the Delhi batsman was in a punishing mood. He smashed three sixes and as many fours in his 61 and added 102 runs off just 97 balls with Dravid for the fifth wicket.

The Indian charge began after the 39th overs, when the score was at 156 for our.

West Indies skipper Brian Lara continued to bowl spinners Nehemiah Perry and Jimmy, Adams till the 46th overs and’ that allowed the Indian batsmen, especially Chopra to chance his arm.