Leewards drop President’s Cup opener
By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
GEORGETOWN, Guyana-CONSISTENT batting at the top of the order gave Guyana the edge on Wednesday (Oct. 28) in the first round of the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) President’s Cup as they defeated the Leeward Islands by three wickets.
The Leeward Islands batted first at Enmore and put up a total of 193/all out from 49.5 overs against tough bowling from Guyana’s Royston Crandon, spinner Devendra Bishoo and Christopher Barnwell.
Nevisian Kieran Powell started off the affair well as he knocked a solid 38, but he found little support as Chesney Hughes, Runako Morton and Tonito Willett each fell for 10 runs or less.
Captain Steven Liburd bolstered the Leewards’ attack in a stronger fifth wicket partnership with Wilden Cornwall. The duo added 38 and 22, respectively, as they brought the total to 101 for 6.
Out of the batsmen in the lower order, Jamar Hamilton and Gavin Tonge gave some hope to the squad, adding 34 and 28, respectively, to end just shy of the 200-run mark.
As Guyana came to the pitch, Lionel Baker and Tonge quickly established the bowling of the Leeward Islands as being on par with that of their opponents, quickly retiring Barnwell and Sewnarine Chattergoon for a combined 8 runs.
Unfortunately, an outstanding third wicket partnership by Ramnaresh Sarwan and left-hander Narsingh Deonarine rocketed Guyana to a standing total of 105 and left the Leeward Islands to fight a losing battle for the remainder of the match.
Though the bottom of Guyana’s order was not nearly as impressive and the Leeward Islands’ Justin Athanaze limited top West Indies batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Travis Dowlin, the host team did not falter in their chase to reach 194/7 from 46.1 overs.
In the other opening round matches of the President’s Cup, Barbados defeated the West Indies Under-19 squad by two wickets, returning champion Trinidad & Tobago knocked off Jamaica by 90 runs and the Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) squad edged out a tense one run victory over the Windward Islands as they defended their total of 178.
The teams will take to the field again today (Oct. 30) for round two, with Trinidad & Tobago facing the Windward Islands, CCC taking on Jamaica, Guyana battling Barbados and the Leeward Islands squaring off against the West Indies Under-19 team.
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