Guyana seized control of their second round Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars U-17 2-day Championship encounter against the Leeward Islands after left-arm spinner Gulcharran Chulai snapped up 4/34 to help bowl the opposition out for a paltry 144.
After Chulai’s exceptional bowling performance, the Guyanese batters held their own and, by stumps, at the National Cricket Centre in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago, the Guyanese lads were on 97/2 trailing by 47 runs with 8 wickets in hand.
Earlier in the day, the Leeward Islands had won the toss, and their skipper, Tanez Francis, elected to bat.
The downward spiral for the Leeward Islands batters began immediately as seamer Devon Wharton struck with the very first ball of the match, having opener Devenand Singh out caught by Rampersaud Ramnauth for a golden duck.
Francis too did not stick around, bowled by his opposite number Jonathan Van Lange for just 4, leaving his side at 6/2 in the fourth over.
The Leeward Islands managed to halt the fall of wickets, with De-Antre Drew and Lythe Browne (8) adding 20 before the latter had his stumps scattered by Emmanuel Lewis. J’Quan Athanaze was the next to fall. Caught behind off the bowling of Adrian Hetmyer to leave the Leewards reeling at 34/4.
Drew, on the other hand, the eventual top-scorer for his side with 28, managed to strike up another valuable partnership (30 runs) with Carlton Pluck. However, just when Pluck was beginning to look comfortable at the crease, he became Chulai’s first scalp, bowled comprehensively for 19, his off-stump knocked out of the ground.
His dismissal sparked a collapse as the Leeward Islands folded from 64/5 to 144 all out as Chulai accounted for Drew, Eirette Richards (15), and Isra-El Morton (10) while Van Lange claimed his second by bowling Jaheem Clarke (11). Wharton, who began the innings with a wicket, fittingly sealed the Leeward Islands’ demise by having Micah McKenzie out caught.
Van Lange finished with 2-28 (12 overs), while Wharton returned 2-23 from his 7.5 overs. In response, the Guyanese opening pair of Vickash Wilkinson and Ramnauth both played with intent and gave their side a start of 39 before Wilkinson was out caught for 17 (39 balls) off the bowling of McKenzie in the 12th over.
Ramnauth, who again got a start of 22 (47 balls), would be the only other casualty for Guyana, bowled by Athanaze to leave his team at 47/2 in the 17th over.
Despite the loss of the openers, Emmanuel Lewis and Romesh Bharrat held firm and will both be looking to kick on to big scores when play resumes today. Lewis, typically a swashbuckling hitter of the ball, played a subdued innings to end the day on 26 not out from 82 deliveries (4sx1), while Bharrat was equally cautious, also unbeaten on 23 from 61 balls, which included two fours.
Speaking to Stabroek Sports at the close of play, Guyana’s captain Jonathan van Lange said that he was pleased with the efforts of his troops on day one while noting that the pitch was a much better playing surface compared to the one the Guyanese played on against Trinidad and Tobago in the opening round at the Inshan Ali Park in Preysal.
The Guyanese will be looking to get to a substantial lead today before attempting to bowl out their counterparts for a second time in a bid for an outright win. (Michelangelo Jacobus)
