Despite eight wickets from leg spinner Steven Sankar, Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) still lost first innings points to Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) after left arm orthodox spinner Raj Nannan and pacer Joshua Wade’s brilliance with the ball yesterday.
Sankar claimed 8-78 to restrict the visitors to 224 all out while Nannan 5-10 and Wade 3-26 routed the hosts for 107 as GCC claimed first innings points at the end of the first day of the lone Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)/ Hadi’s World Incorporated match to be played this weekend at the MSC ground, Thomas Lands.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, the visitors managed to score just over 200 in 61.5 overs with Renaldo Ali-Mohamed and Martin Pestano-Belle, the principal scorers with 49 and 47 runs respectively. GCC lost skipper Robin Bacchus via the leg before wicket route to pacer Darian Best, their first wicket falling at 21.
After that it was the Sankar show. The spinner, who seems to be improving with every game he plays, gained the first wicket of Elon Fernandes, who was caught for 22 while his fifth victim was Nannan, who was bowled after making a stubborn 29. He then wrapped things up when he removed opener Pestano-Belle, who was caught brilliantly by Steven Jacobs at first slip on the stroke of tea.
MSC’s reply started horribly as they lost out of form batsman Shemroy Barrington for nought after he nicked a delivery from Wade to the wicket keeper. Wade, along with his new ball partner Bacchus, accounted for four more wickets before Nannan began to ruin the hosts’ day. The left arm spinner was accurate throughout his spell as he offered no wayward delivery. He managed to bowl Jacobs for a top score of 37 which was the high point of his spell, since Jacobs looked like the batsman to rebuild the MSC innings.
Jacobs found no support from the rest of his team mates who were undone by clever bowling by the GCC’s bowlers.
When the match continue today from 9:30 a.m GCC will start their second innings with a lead of 117 runs.
