PROVIDENCE, Guyana, CMC – Johnny Bairstow made the most of a small window of opportunity to usher England Lions to first innings points over Guyana in the WICB Regional first-class championship yesterday.
Bairstow, the son of the late, former England wicketkeeper David Bairstow, was not out on 32, and raced the Lions to 87 for three, replying to Guyana’s paltry first innings of 78, in the 13 balls deliveries in 15 minutes of play that were possible on the final day of their fifth round match at the Guyana National Stadium before the unstable weather interrupted for the final time.
The sun never came out, but the rain relented just long enough for play to commence after the scheduled tea break in a faint drizzle.
It was clear however, that the Guyanese were reluctant to play. The umpires and the Lions’ overnight pair of Bairstow and Andrew Gale were made to wait for what seemed an eternity before Assad Fudadin led his side out to the middle.
Bairstow formalised the points for the Lions, when he lofted Fudadin, bowling medium-pace, over long-off for his second six.
After the Lions had resumed on their overnight 68 for three, Bairstow ahd disdainfully pulled the first ball for his first six off Brandon Bess before taking the visitors over threshold.
The result meant that the Lions collected six points to move to 36, and
Guyana now have 16 points, after gaining three.
England Lions travel to Dominica, where they will face Windward Islands at Windsor Park, starting on Thursday while Guyana will travel to Barbados, where they will meet Combined Campuses & Colleges at the Three Ws Oval, starting on Friday.
The Guyana selectors yesterday named the following players for the game against the Combined Campuses and Colleges team.
The players named are Assad Fudadin, Rajendra Chandrika, Leon Johnson, Narsingh Deonarine, Vishaul Singh, Richard Ramdeen, Derwin Christian, Zaheer Mohamed, Veerasammy Permaul, Brendon Bess, Ransford Beaton, Steven Jacobs and Keon Joseph.
The coach is Mark Harper and the manager Carl Moore.
