By Calvin Roberts Kensington Oval
Compliments of Ansa McAl Limited, Hanes Guyana Limited, Cellular Planet, P&P Insurance and Cummings Electrical.
A defiant century from Chesney Hughes (101) and controlled bowling from left-arm spinner Jurnell Turner (3-38) placed the Leeward Islands in a strong position against defending champions Guyana at the end of the first day of their first round match in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) TCL-sponsored 2008 three day cricket tournament at Kensington Oval yesterday.
Asked to take first strike the Leewards, despite Hughes’s ton, were bowled out for 172, 30 minutes before the scheduled tea break but roared back into contention by Turner’s spell which left the defending champions shakily placed on 75-5 at the close.
Hopes for first innings points for the defending champions will rest with Jeetendra Sookdeo who showed some resistance to be unbeaten on 37 at the close with Guyana still needing a further 98 runs for the lead.
In an invited comment coach Hubern Evans told Stabroek Sport that he was appalled at the way his batsmen performed especially Jonathan Foo after the bowlers did such a hard work with the ball.
“I must say that I am disappointed with the batsmen and I had no bones in telling them so. Our bowlers set up this game for us so far even though they (Leeward Islands) got 50 or so runs than they should have had. Nevertheless, they should have buckled down and batted and I am disappointed in Foo whom I thought would have been a different player this year,” said Evans.
“I am hoping that the remaining five batsmen can get the runs for us so that we can get first innings points or at least take us close to that. Our bowlers can restrict them again as they have the potential to do so.”
Earlier, the Leewards found fast bowlers Keon Joseph and Leon Scott difficult to handle on the fast Kensington wicket and were it not for the defiance of Hughes along with some amount of complacency towards the end of the innings, they would have been bowled out for much less.
Joseph struck first when he had captain and opener Kieron Powell (06) caught by Eugene La Fleur at midwicket from a delivery that jumped at the batsman from off a good length and the Leewards were 15-1 in the fourth over.
Hughes and Sherwin Peters then added 23 runs for the second wicket before Peters was caught at the wicket by Anthony Bramble off Scott attempting to drive through mid off.
Hughes, though, was applying himself as he sought to consolidate the innings which was beginning to look shaky against the determined pace attack.
He fought fire with fire by first hitting Scott’s fourth delivery for four and then following it up with another boundary off the bowling of Joseph in his second over.
When La Fleur introduced himself in the 13th over (47-2) Hughes struck his fourth delivery back over mid off for four after Kadeem Phillip had dispatched La Fleur’s first delivery back over his head for a boundary.
Phillip also struck a delivery from Scott through the covers for four before Latcha had him caught by Jonathan Foo at mid wicket for 19 at 64-3 in the 19th over.
Guyana struck twice in quick succession after Kjel Tyson was caught and bowled by La Fleur for one and Clinton Payne needlessly run out by Seon Hetymyer as he attempted a single following a Hughes drive to extra cover as the Leewards slipped to 80-5.
At lunch, Leeward Islands were 83-5 with Hughes on 40 and Jamal Hamilton on three.
Upon resumption, Hamilton posted the team’s 100 when he struck Joseph’s second delivery of his first spell for four through the cover region.
It took the Leeward Islands batsmen 36.2 overs to get there as the Guyanese bowled a consistent line and length.
Hughes brought up his 50 when he dispatched Joseph for one his eight fours through extra cover.
He faced 127 deliveries whilst batting for 128 minutes but Hamilton soon lost his wicket despite being given a life by Joseph off Latcha.
He had attempted to hit the bowler over mid off but did not get much bat onto the ball and picked out Joseph who grassed the opportunity.
The bowler was not to be deterred and he offered the batsman the opportunity again and he duly complied by picking out Joseph who took the catch this time around.
Hamilton made 28 whilst adding 46 for the sixth wicket with Hughes from 17.5 overs hitting two fours from 62 balls faced in his 56-minute knock.
Latcha struck again in the following over when he removed Kelbert Walters who was caught by Sookdeo at a relatively short mid on as he too attempted to hit the bowler out of the ground.
Adelvin Phillip entered and quickly made his exit after offering Totaram Bishun who was introduced into the attack after lunch a return catch at 129-8.
Hughes was then given a life by Royan Fredericks when on 61 off the bowling of Bishun with the score on 131-8 and he brought up the 150 for the team (after seeing Jurnell Turner bowled by La Fleur) when he dispatched Bishun over a wide long on for the first six of the match.
He was given another life by Sookdeo when on 95 who grassed an easy opportunity at long on off Bishun.
The defending champions were beginning to show signs of complacency and Hughes, who had top scored in the first innings with 49 when these two met in last year’s tournament, then got the first century of this year’s competition when he drove La Fleur exquisitely through mid off for four. He faced 203 balls and struck 14 fours and one six whilst batting for 217 minutes.
Unfortunately for him, he was run out off the next delivery by Foo as he attempted a second run after steering la Fleur to point to end the innings. Tevin Osborne was left undefeated without scoring.
Latcha led the bowling with 3-53 and received support from La Fleur who took 2-28.
When Guyana began their reply, they were immediately setback by the pace of Walters and Adelvin Phillips.
Trevor Griffith playing his first U-19 match for Guyana was the first to go when he steered a delivery straight into the hands of wicket-keeper Hamilton off Phillips’s second ball of his second over.
Sookdeo joined Fredericks and they posted 35 runs for the second wicket with Fredericks being forced to weather a barrage of short pitched deliveries from Walters.
He was even felled by one those deliveries when on one and the total on nine, after surviving a chance off Phillips at the other end in the previous over.
The introduction of Turner spelt disaster for the Guyanese, as he first had Fredericks adjudged lbw then accounted for Seon Hetymyer two balls later caught by Powell at slip to leave Guyana precariously perched on 39-3.
