Date-stamped : 03 Nov93 - 06:18 Subject: West Indies vs Sri Lanka (Sharjah Cup 1D - UAE, Oct 28) (To end of SL inns only) The West Indian pace pack ripped through Sri Lanka's batting in the opening match of the three-nation Champions Trophy limited-overs tournament on Thursday. Kenneth Benjamin and Anderson Cummins took three wickets apiece as the West Indians shot Sri Lanka out for 172 in 48.5 overs after electing to field first on a barren track at the Sharjah cricket stadium. Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga was Sri Lanka's lone success in an otherwise disappointing display, scoring a breezy 83 not out after surviving two lives before he had reached double figures. Sri Lanka were reduced to 29 for four by the 16th over after Ben- jamin, the newest of the West Indian fast bowlers, claimed two wickets in the space of four balls in his fourth over. The Worcestershire paceman would have removed Ranatunga for no score in his next over had Brian Lara not spilled a difficult catch at first slip. Left-handed Ranatunga, lucky to see Keith Arthurton grass another catch at square leg when he was on five, hit three sixes and six boundaries in a 92-ball innings. Thanks to vasa Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) ====> MORE SHARJAH, Oct 28 (Reuter) - A 137-run partnership between skipper Richie Richardson and Phil Simmons powered West Indies to an em- phatic eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the Champions Trophy tournament on Thursday. Needing to score 172 in 50 overs, West Indies paced themselves carefully and reached the target with four overs to spare. Richardson dominat- ed the crease, scoring an unbeaten 69 off only 87 balls but the man of the match award went to opener Phil Simmons who made 92. Simmons was bowled just two runs short of victory, playing a lazy flick against left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya, after a 170- minute knock featuring seven boundaries. The Trinidadian proved the perfect foil as Richardson went on the attack, striking six powerful fours and one six over mid-wicket. Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga employed eight bowlers in an attempt to break the Richardson-Simmons partnership but with little luck. Earlier Ranatunga came to the rescue of his team with a defiant innings of 83 as the four-pronged Caribbean seam attack threatened to run through the Sri Lankan innings. Benefiting from two dropped catches on nought and five -- to Brian Lara and Keith Arthurton - the portly skipper proceeded to haul his side up to relative safety from a precarious 29 for three. Ranatunga was also in- volved in the only two significant partnerships of the innings. He put on 42 runs for the fifth wicket with opener Roshan Mahana- ma and then added a brisk 33 runs for the ninth wicket with Jayasuriya. Kenneth Benjamin and Anderson Cummins shared the spoils with three wickets apiece while Courtney Walsh went wick- etless despite sending down seven tight overs at a cost of a mere 10 runs. Contributed by gihan (Gihan.N.Wikramanayake@*ac.uk)