The Windward Islands, on the backs of half centuries from Darren Sammy, Devon Smith and Miles Bascombe, closed the second day in a strong position of 267-3 replying to Guyana’s 396 in their final round match of the Carib Beer Cup competition at the National Stadium, Providence, yesterday.
Windwards’ opener, the left-handed West Indies player Devon Smith scored 58, fellow opener Bascombe, scored 54 while Sammy was unbeaten on 65 as the Windwards top-order clicked after Guyana resuming on their overnight 312-3 had disintegrated to 396 all out.
Guyana skipper Travis Dowlin, who resumed on 121, was unbeaten on 176 at the close. Dowlin‘s marathon knock lasted six hours and 45 minutes and he struck 21boundaries from the 267 balls he faced.
Dowlin was especially severe on fast bowler Nelon Pascal smashing him for three boundaries in the 97th over of the innings to bring up his 150 and see his team’s total past the 350 mark.
So dominant was Dowlin’s batting yesterday that he scored 55 of the 84 runs added by the team yesterday.
However, none of the other batsmen with the exception of Gajanand Singh, who scored 14, was able to reach double figures.
The Guyana innings was thrown into disarray at the start of play when the team’s star batsman, West Indies middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was set to resume with Dowlin on 78 not out, was a no-show.
Not even the Guyana management team had a clue about the batting star’s whereabouts.
A query from the manager and the captain produced the response that he had not reported for play and a decision was later taken that he would be “retired out.”
It was later learnt that the left-hander had departed for Trinidad to participate in the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) Annual Awards ceremony which was scheduled for last night.
It was no wonder that the last five wickets fell for 19 runs, 14 of which were added by the eighth-wicket pair.
Off-spinner Shane Shillingford was the pick of the Windwards’ bowlers with 5- 115 while Sammy chipped in with 3-78 from 24 overs of medium pace.
In reply, Smith and Bascombe blazed away to an opening stand of 104 in only 19.3 overs and in a mere 90 minutes.
Smith reached his half century off 54 balls in 72 minutes with six boundaries and one six. He had reached 58 before he was caught by Devendra Bishoo off the bowling of Dowlin.
Bascombe too fell soon after reaching his half century. He was bowled by Zaheer Mohammed for 54 after batting for 125 minutes and hitting seven fours and one six.
At tea the Windwards were 141-2 with Andre Fletcher and Liam Sebastian on 19 and two respectively.
Upon resumption, Fletcher was lbw to Bishoo for 29 with the score on 167-3.
Thereafter, Sammy and Liam Sebastian dominated the final session with a 100-run partnership.
The right-handed Sammy is unbeaten on 65 with ten fours and the left-handed Sebastian not out on 42 with four fours.
Dowlin (1-25), Bishoo (1-84) and Mohammed (1-8) were the wicket-takers for Guyana at stumps on day two.
