Philo Wallace struck a solid half-century and the West Indies Board Select combined tight and accurate bowling with dynamic fielding in the tour opener at Lord's on Saturday.

The West Indians were made to battle for their most hard-fought victory on the tour to date as the local side reduced them to 15 for two inside the first eight overs.

Opening bat Robert Samuels (three) tried Anthony Edwards' arm on the third man boundary and lost as he attempted to scamper back for two. Shortly afterward, Stuart Williams played on against Allan Brangman after scoring six from seven balls.

Skipper Roland Holder then dominated a 51-run stand for the third wicket with the subdued Wallace as the West Indians looked to be taking a firm grip on the proceedings.

Holder struck three fours and two sixes in his 51-ball 45 before he was bowled round his legs trying to pull off-spinner Del Hollis.

That precipitated a mini-collapse that lifted the President's XI spirits as Bruce Perinchief took a simple return catch to send back Shivnarine Chanderpaul back without scoring and then bowled left-hander Ridley Jacobs with one that spun back sharply onto off stump.

At 85 for five, the tourists looked quite vulnerable and their position may have been more tenuous had Hollis held one of two chances Wallace sent back to him.

Those lapses aside, Wallace was the anchor in the West Indian innings and he found a valuable partner in number seven John Eugene as the two added 59.

Wallace's innings gained momentum as he approached his 50 while the President's XI bowling, which was strict for the first 25 overs, began to stray.

Wallace struck nine fours in an innings that lasted 122 balls and 160 minutes.

He was sixth out at 144 skying an Andre Manders long hop to Allan Brangman at short mid-wicket. He finished on 65.

Edwards struck with the lbw dismissal of Nehemiah Perry (one) to make the score 147 for seven as the tension increased then Eugene abandoned his cautious approach and attempted to hit Brangman outside to end. But substitute fielder Lionel Cann took a well-judged catch just inside the long-off boundary.

Fast bowlers Casper Davis and Sammy Skeete saw off the final six runs, but not without incident as Edwards had a strong lbw appeal against the latter turned down.

Brangman finished with two for 29 from 10 overs, Perinchief one for 22, Edwards one for 27 and Hollis one for 32.

As they have done in every match so far, the West Indies Board Select have won the toss and sent local teams in.

Roland Holder's decision proved a wise one on Saturday as bowlers made scoring runs difficult indeed.

After Dexter Smith (six) was out in the sixth over with the score 13, skipper Albert Steede and Ricky Hill consolidated in putting on 51.

But a brilliant catch ended that union as Holder dove to his right and made a one-handed grab a short mid-wicket that sent a stunned Hill back for 21. He had batted 105 minutes.

Steede, who hit four fours and a six in his team-high 35, was the next to go at 74 as Skeete second lbw victim; and the President's XI were further rocked at 82 for four when Stevie Lightbourne (three) chased a wide ball from off-spinner Perry and was caught behind.

Andre Manders and Dean Minors batted with resolve in adding 25 for the fifth wicket as Perry and wrist spinner Chanderpaul were racing through their overs.

Manders went for 12, Perry getting a second bite at a hot return offering.

Minors, who started anxiously, gave the fans something to cheer about with three sixes and two fours in a breezy knock of 34 from 33 balls. The left-hander lost two more partners before he was eighth out at 143.

Perry finished with three for 33, Chanderpaul two for 24, Skeete two for 20 and Rose two for 30, all from 10 overs.

DEAN'S LIST -- Dean Minors gave local fans something to cheer about with three sixes and two fours in a breeze knock of 34 from 33 balls.