By Calvin Roberts @ 3W’s Oval, Barbados
Compliments of Caribbean Airlines, Igloo Ice Cream, Oasis Water, Noble House Seafoods, GT&T and Papi’s Supermarket
Guyana held the upper hand against the Combined Campuses and Colleges team at the end of the first day of their second round clash in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional four day competition at the 3W’s Oval, Cave Hill, Barbados yesterday.
Led by a patient 45 from skipper Simon Jackson, 44 from Chadwick Walton and a pugnacious 41 from former West Indies batsman, left-hander Floyd Reifer, CCC reached 262-8 at the close.
Ryan Austin is unbeaten on three while Brendon Bess (3-65) and Esaun Crandon 2-47 were the main wicket-takers.
Guyana, who lost their first round game to the Windward Islands by an innings and 147 runs, won the toss and sent the University students to take first strike in overcast conditions and on a pitch that had some preparation moisture in the first hour.
But fast bowlers Brendon Bess and Esaun Crandon found it difficult to penetrate the opening partnership.
Bess, who eventually got the wicket of Rommel Currency (18) just before lunch with the score on 60, was guilty of either bowling too short or no balls.
This forced skipper Travis Dowlin to call on his left arm orthodox spinner Veerasammy Permaul, who immediately struck a line which had the batsmen in two minds at times.
His controlled bowling saw him conceding a mere 11 runs from nine overs prior to lunch, which was taken with the CCC on 69-1, with Jackson on 31 and Nikolai Parris on five.
The Guyanese, who are hunting their first title since 2002, played an unchanged team from the one that lost the first round encounter.
They began the post lunch period with the all spin attack of Devendra Bishoo and Permaul but the CCC 100 came from 39.3 overs.
Parris was eventually caught by Krishna Arjune off Permaul at first slip and when Bishoo grassed a difficult chance offered by Kirk Wilkinson running back from point of Permaul, he responded by removing Jackson who was caught at the wicket by Christian for 45.
Jackson faced 153 balls and struck two fours whilst batting for 180 minutes.
Wilkinson made Bishoo, who took 5-29 against the same opponents at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence when the two teams met last year, pay for the “life” by hitting him over long off for six to push the score to 133-3.
Wilkinson did not hang around long after as he was caught by Permaul at mid-on off Crandon for 27, eight runs later.
Thereafter Reifer and Walton took the fight to the Guyanese, with Reifer hitting Bishoo through cover and extra cover for boundaries whilst Walton sent a delivery from Narsingh Deonarine crashing over midwicket for six as the CCC team raced to 157-4 at tea, with Reifer on 14 and Walton 9.
Reifer continued where he left off before tea, when he pulled a short delivery from Crandon over fine leg for six, followed by an audacious drive through point and a flick off his legs for four, as CCC raced to 182-4 and Reifer 35.
Reifer, who struck a delivery from Bess through the cover region for another boundary, was eventually bowled by the same bowler two overs later for 41.
He faced 61 balls and struck five fours and one six during his 105 minutes sojourn at the wicket, before a delivery from Bess struck him on the pad and trickled onto the wicket. He was followed by Craig Emmanuel, who was run out by Shemroy Barrington stationed at forward short leg to leave CCC on 217-6.
Walton (44) tried to hit Bess through midwicket, but only succeeded in picking out Bishoo at mid off at 240-7.
Guyana found it difficult to get another wicket until Kevin Mclean was caught by Leon Johnson at second slip off Crandon in what turned out to be the final over of the day, for three.
At the close Bess who had a no ball problem throughout each of his spells, had claimed 3-65 and Crandon 2-47.
Play will continue today the second day from 10:00hrs, with Guyana looking to close off the innings early.
