Off-spinner Narsingh Deonarine ripped through the Leeward Islands middle-order to end with 4-24 as the Leewards were dismissed for 187 in their first innings of the fourth round Carib Beer series match against Guyana at the Albion Community Development Centre ground yesterday.
At the close of play Guyana had made a strong reply of 67-0 with openers Sewnarine Chattergoon and Royston Crandon unbeaten on 26 and 27 respectively.
The Leewards won the toss but the rest of the day’s honours went to Guyana, who are on eight points, one point behind the fourth-placed Leewards.
The Leewards openers, Maxroy Pipe and Codwill Rogers, started slowly but took their opening stand to 59 before Rodgers was bowled by debutant Jeremy Gordon for 26.
Steve Liburd did not last long edging a catch to Azeemul Hannif at second slip giving Gordon, who replaced the injured Reon King, his second wicket.
Leewards skipper Sylvester Joseph has been in fine form this season but made only two before being caught behind by wicket-keeper Derwin Christian off Mahendra Nagamootoo for two.
Pipe was next to go. The opener misread a Nagamootoo flipper and was comprehensively bowled for 33.
Lunch, taken with the Leewards on 81 for 4, was to offer the Leewards a chance to regroup.
They did, with Tonito Willet and Omari Banks putting on 45 for the fifth wicket upon resumption before Willet miscued a pull off Esaun Crandon and was caught by Verasammy Permaul at square leg for 29.
With the Leewards on 126-5 Deonarine went to work. He had Jason Williams caught by wicket-keeper Christian for 10 and Banks, who missed a straight ball, palpably leg-before-wicket for 24.
Left-arm spinner Permaul then got into the action by having Chaka Hodge (01) caught by Christian (his third catch) and, at Tea, the Leeewards had subsided to 152 for eight.
Shortly after the interval, Lionel Baker mistimed a drive off Deonarine and gave a simple catch to Guyana skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan at mid off while Kerry Jeremy was dismissed via a bat/pad catch by Royston Crandon off Deonarine. Adam Sanford was left not out on 13.
Guyana responded well with Chattergoon and Crandon taking the team to within 121 runs of first innings honours. Chattergoon looked in good nick and the only blemish of his innings so far was when he tried to leave a delivery outside the off stump when on 17, did not get his bat out of the way and edged the ball to Joseph at first slip who dropped it.
Crandon had a shaky start but came into his own and played some lovely shots towards the end as Guyana ended the first day in a comfortable position.