GROS ISLET, St Lucia, CMC – Teenaged batsman Jahmar Hamilton narrowly missed out on a century while pacer Lionel Baker wrecked Combined Campuses and Colleges’ top order, to leave the Leeward Islands in command on day one of their final round WICB regional first class match yesterday.
The 19-year-old wicketkeeper batsman slammed 98 to propel the Leewards to 227 all out after being sent in at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium in the day/night encounter.
Baker then snatched three wickets in a telling opening burst to leave the students in tatters at 36 for five, still 191 runs adrift of challenging for first innings points.
With the Leewards languishing at 85 for seven after the middle order was destroyed by left-arm spinner Kavesh Kantasingh, Hamilton and Baker came together to rescue the innings with an eighth wicket partnership of 122.
Hamilton stroked 12 fours and a six in an innings that required 119 balls and 149 minutes while Baker struck 32 from 98 balls with one four and a six.
Their effort was required after Kantasingh ripped through the innings with a spell of five for 69, following on from fast bowler Gilford Moore’s spell of two for 45 which rattled the openers Montcin Hodge (12) and Kieran Powell (13).
Hamilton, in only his sixth first class match, seemed poised to complete three figures before he drove Kantasingh to Romel Currency behind point.
Baker, who finished with three for 14, then stunned CCC, prising out openers Omar Phillips (4) and Kyle Corbin (8) cheaply with just 16 on the board.
Leg-spinner Anthony Martin grabbed the wickets of Currency (7) and nightwatchman Ryan Austin (0) in successive deliveries before Baker struck again to remove Kjorn Ottley for 12 just before the close.
SCOREBOARD
LEEWARDS 1st Innings
M Hodge c wkp Smith b Moore 12
K Powell c Kantasingh b Moore 13
M Richards c Wallace b Kantasingh 9
G Williams b Kantasingh 26
O Banks c McClean b Kantasingh 3
*S Liburd c wkp Smith b Kantasingh 12
W Cornwall c Corbin b Austin 0
+J Hamilton c Currency b Kantasingh 98
L Baker c Currency b Wallace 32
A Martin lbw b Wallace 4
B Defreitas not out 4
Extras (b5, lb3, w2, nb4) 14
TOTAL (all out, 73.3 overs) 227
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-32, 3-40, 4-56, 5-70, 6-77, 7-85, 8-207, 9-219, 10-227.
Bowling: McClean 12-1-31-0 (nb1), Moore 13-3-45-2 (w2), Kantasingh 25-7-69-5, Austin 17-6-53-1 (nb3), Wallace 6.3-1-21-2.
CCC 1st Innings
K Corbin c Cornwall b Baker 8
O Phillips c wkp Hamilton b Baker 4
R Currency c Richards b Martin 7
K Ottley c Liburd b Baker 12
T Austin lbw b Martin 0
+J Smith not out 0
Extras (nb5) 5
TOTAL (5 wkts, 13.4 overs) 36
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-16, 3-36, 4-36, 5-36.
To bat: *F Reifer, K McLean, G Moore, K Kantasingh, G Wallace.
Bowling: Baker 6.4-2-14-3 (nb1), Defreitas 4-0-15-0 (nb1), Conrwall 2-0-7-0, Martin 1-1-0-2.
Position: CCC trail by 191 runs with five wickets in tact.
Toss: CCC.
Umpires: Francis Maurice, Lennox Abraham.