GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Mar 7, CMC – Narsingh Deonarine carved out his sixth first-class hundred and second this season to give Guyana control against Combined Campuses & Colleges on the second day of their ninth round WICB Regional Four-day yesterday.
Replying to CCC’s first innings score of 254 in the bottom of the table clash at Bourda, Guyana finished on 275 for five with Deonarine unbeaten on 121.
The left-handed Deonarine has so far batted 377 minutes, faced 258 balls and struck 11 fours and one six.
Starting the day at 24 for two and needing a further 231 runs for first innings honours, Guyana suffered an early setback when they lost one of their key batsmen, Leon Johnson to fast bowler Boris Hutchinson and slipped to 36 for three.
The left-handed Johnson, who played three One Day International (ODI) matches for West Indies last summer in Canada’s Scotiabank Tri-Series, edged a catch to wicket-keeper Chadwick Walton and departed for just three.
Deonarine then linked up with Sewnarine Chattergoon and the pair with West Indies experience built a promising partnership that – unfortunately for the home side – ended just before lunch, when Chattergoon fell for 40 to prolific off-spinner Ryan Austin.
With two balls to go before the break, Chattergoon pushed forward and edged to the wicket-keeper after he had struck four boundaries and faced 104 balls.
Deonarine and captain Travis Dowlin were watchful during the post-lunch session and steered the Guyanese to tea without any further glitches.
Deonarine compiled his 25th first-class fifty in 185 minutes with five fours and a six and moved past 600 runs this season while posting a half-century stand with Dowlin.
The pair raised the score to 178 for four at tea and had piloted the home side to the brink of first innings honours when Dowlin fell for 51 at 243 for five.
He was bowled by a flighted delivery from Austin to end a responsible innings that lasted 210 minutes and contained six boundaries.
The in-form Deonarine, who had scored well against CCC – 49 and 86 — in the second round, reached his fifth regional century off 210 balls in 311 minutes. It was the second hundred in two weeks for the 25-year-old Deonarine, who had smashed 143 against Trinidad and Tobago in the seventh round.
Bowling for CCC, Austin was the best with two for 86 off 34 overs with six maidens.
Fast bowlers Khismar Catlin (1-29), Hutchinson (1-50) and McClean (1-56) picked up the other wickets.
Deonarine and Assad Fudadin (6) will continue the Guyana innings this morning, with the home team aiming to press for a victory, their first of the season that would snap a seven-game winless streak.
