First day honours in the eighth-round West Indies Cricket Board’s regional four-day competition went to Guyana who dismissed the Windward Islands for 215 and then reached 73-2 at stumps at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence yesterday.
Leon Johnson, 14, and Devendra Bishoo, 13, are the not out batsmen.
Discarded West Indies opener Sewnarine Chattergoon and Christopher Barnwell were the wickets to fall after posting a quick fire opening partnership of 40.
Barnwell was adjudged lbw to Deighton Butler for 19, after batting for 54 minutes and hitting three fours from 30 deliveries.
Chattergoon, who had tickled medium pacer Daren Sammy to fine leg for four pulled a short delivery to Donwell Hector at mid on two balls later to be dismissed for 17.
Once again Bishoo was entrusted with the night watchman role and building on his belligerent 39 against Trinidad and Tobago in the last round, immediately looked the part with two boundaries off the bowling of Butler.
Earlier, the Windwards won the toss and batted but lost out-of-form opener Johnson Charles who was caught by wicketkeeper Darwin Christian off the bowling of Esaun Crandon for a duck as he pushed tentatively forward to a delivery pitched on the off stump in the third over of the day.
Andre Fletcher (53) and Keddy Lesporis (47) added 92 runs for the second wicket as they set about Operation Recovery. Fletcher, who was dropped by Barnwell at first slip off Narsingh Deonarine with the score 25-1 in the 10th over, saw the team’s 50 posted from 12.5 overs in just about an hour’s batting on a placid pitch.
Fletcher reached his half century when he struck medium pacer Barnwell through mid on for four.
He had faced 70 balls and struck eight fours but was caught by Chattergoon of the very next delivery.
At lunch the Windwards were 102-2 with Lesporis on 47 and Linden James (31) on one.
Lesporis was dismissed off the first delivery upon resumption, caught by Veerasammy Permaul at midwicket off Bishoo.
He had batted for 121 minutes, striking seven fours from 81 balls.
The Windwards lost four wickets for 56 runs following Lesporis’s dismissal.
James, Hector (09) and Sammy (15) were caught at the wicket by Christian while skipper Rawl Lewis was bowled behind his back by Permaul for 16.
Butler (00) gave Christian his fourth catch of the session, off Esaun Crandon and, at his demise, Windwards were 178-8 and, at tea, 184-8 with Shane Shillingford and Camillus Alexander not out on seven and five respectively.
It was the best session for the Guyanese this season as they were able to capture six wickets for 82 runs.
After tea, Shillingford struck a few lusty blows before he was bowled by Bishoo playing back to a short delivery for 21 and the innings ended when Permaul took a return skier from Pascal (03) as the Windwards were dismissed off 64.4 overs.
Camilus Alexander was left unbeaten on 17, hitting two fours in his 51-minute knock.
Permaul (3-58), Barnwell (2-14), Crandon (2-29) and Bishoo 2-43 were the principal wicket takers for Guyana while Garraway took the other wicket at a cost of 50 runs.
Guyana took the last eight wickets for 113 runs and for the first time this season were able to dismiss an opponent inside the first day.
