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India off to good start after Dawson impresses on debut

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – A two-wicket burst from Mervin Matthew allowed Windward Islands Volcanoes to defy the loss of a large chunk of playing time and make hay while the sun shone to put Barbados Pride on their heels in the WICB Regional 4-Day Tournament here yesterday. Matthew has been the pick of the Volcanoes bowling so far, taking 3-32 from 11.2 overs, as the Pride reached 137 for six in their first innings on a rain-shortened second day of their fifth round match at Windsor Park in the Dominica capital. Generating appreciable bounce and movement from the surface which spent lengthy periods under the covers due to the weather, the Dominica-born fast-medium bowler removed the overnight pair of West Indies batsman Roston Chase for 35 and Shai Hope for 43. Barbados-born fast-medium bowler Kyle Mayers added the scalp of West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dowrich for one, as the visitors lost three wickets for nine runs in the space of 34 deliveries. This brought Kevin Stoute, the Pride captain, to the crease and he batted out the remainder of the day and was not out on three, along with Jonathan Carter, not out on 14, before the umpires offered them bad light with 4.4 overs left. Earlier, rain restricted the two teams to just four deliveries in the morning session which started an hour and 45 minutes later than scheduled, as the Pride added just one run to their overnight 101 for three. A succession of intermittent showers meant that the umpiring crew of Joel Wilson, Jonathan Blades and reserve Ericson Degallerie spent the next five hours conducting a handful of inspections of the conditions. It also meant that the 15-member ground-staff, under the supervision of Richard “Pablo” Letang, worked above and beyond the call of duty either pulling covers or removing excess water from the tarpaulins or the outfield. A late cessation of the showers and a burst of sunshine allowed the umpires usher a start time about 40 minutes before the scheduled close and this was enough time for Matthews and Mayers to do some damage. Chase was caught at first slip driving loosely in Matthew’s first over, the fourth of the day, before Dowrich was caught low at second slip off Mayers five overs later, playing forward, and Hope was caught behind off Matthew in the following over, playing a similar shot. The Volcanoes missed two chances to inflict further pain on the Pride, when Carter edged Peters and Matthew between wicketkeeper Sunil Ambris and first slip fielder, the veteran Devon Smith, four boundaries in successive overs just before the close. Pride entered the match in third place in the standings on 43.2 points – eight points more than fifth-placed Volcanoes.
ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – A two-wicket burst from Mervin Matthew allowed Windward Islands Volcanoes to defy the loss of a large chunk of playing time and make hay while the sun shone to put Barbados Pride on their heels in the WICB Regional 4-Day Tournament here yesterday. Matthew has been the pick of the Volcanoes bowling so far, taking 3-32 from 11.2 overs, as the Pride reached 137 for six in their first innings on a rain-shortened second day of their fifth round match at Windsor Park in the Dominica capital. Generating appreciable bounce and movement from the surface which spent lengthy periods under the covers due to the weather, the Dominica-born fast-medium bowler removed the overnight pair of West Indies batsman Roston Chase for 35 and Shai Hope for 43. Barbados-born fast-medium bowler Kyle Mayers added the scalp of West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dowrich for one, as the visitors lost three wickets for nine runs in the space of 34 deliveries. This brought Kevin Stoute, the Pride captain, to the crease and he batted out the remainder of the day and was not out on three, along with Jonathan Carter, not out on 14, before the umpires offered them bad light with 4.4 overs left. Earlier, rain restricted the two teams to just four deliveries in the morning session which started an hour and 45 minutes later than scheduled, as the Pride added just one run to their overnight 101 for three. A succession of intermittent showers meant that the umpiring crew of Joel Wilson, Jonathan Blades and reserve Ericson Degallerie spent the next five hours conducting a handful of inspections of the conditions. It also meant that the 15-member ground-staff, under the supervision of Richard “Pablo” Letang, worked above and beyond the call of duty either pulling covers or removing excess water from the tarpaulins or the outfield. A late cessation of the showers and a burst of sunshine allowed the umpires usher a start time about 40 minutes before the scheduled close and this was enough time for Matthews and Mayers to do some damage. Chase was caught at first slip driving loosely in Matthew’s first over, the fourth of the day, before Dowrich was caught low at second slip off Mayers five overs later, playing forward, and Hope was caught behind off Matthew in the following over, playing a similar shot. The Volcanoes missed two chances to inflict further pain on the Pride, when Carter edged Peters and Matthew between wicketkeeper Sunil Ambris and first slip fielder, the veteran Devon Smith, four boundaries in successive overs just before the close. Pride entered the match in third place in the standings on 43.2 points – eight points more than fifth-placed Volcanoes.
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CHENNAI, (Reuters) – India made a strong reply to England’s first-innings total of 477 after half-centuries by debutant Liam Dawson and number nine Adil Rashid underlined the tourists’ batting depth in the fifth and final test yesterday.

India claimed three wickets on the second morning but the 108-run partnership between Dawson and Rashid in a productive second session for the touring side frustrated the hosts.

India’s players appeal for a leg before wicket decision. (Reuters photo)

India’s Murali Vijay hurt his shoulder while fielding and could not come out to bat but the makeshift opening pair of Lokesh Rahul and Parthiv Patel did a decent job, adding 60 runs without being separated.

Rahul was unbeaten on 30 at stumps and the right-hander will be eager to make amends with the bat having dropped centurion Moeen Ali before he had scored on Friday.

Patel was on 29 at the other end with India, who have an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series, 417 runs behind on a pitch which has grown easier to bat on.

Earlier, resuming on 284-4, England got an early jolt when Ravichandran Ashwin struck with the day’s fifth delivery at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

The leading wicket-taker in the series had endured a rare wicketless day on Friday but he lured Ben Stokes on to the front foot to edge a fuller delivery which Parthiv Patel caught behind the stumps.

Paceman Ishant Sharma trapped Jos Buttler lbw for five while Moeen, who resumed on 120, looked ill at ease against the short-pitched deliveries.

The left-hander virtually walked into a trap when Umesh Yadav forced him into playing a pull shot, which the batsman mistimed to find Ravindra Jadeja at deep mid-wicket.

Moeen faced 262 balls for his 146, hitting 13 fours and a six.

Dawson endured a tough test initiation, the second ball he faced from Sharma smacking him on his helmet but the 26-year-old grew in confidence as he and Rashid shared the second century-plus stand of the English innings.

Rashid hit eight fours before edging Yadav to Patel for 60.

Dawson was stranded on 66 not out, including five fours and a six, when Amit Mishra bowled Jake Ball with a googly.

 

 

 

 

 

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