GCA’s Carib/Heroes Cup two-day cricket…Griffith, Christian hit fifties for DCC

Oct 02, 2011 Sports

National 50-over selectee Trevon Griffith and West Indies t20 wicketkeeper batsman Derwin Christian scored fifties for host DCC against GNIC on the opening day of their Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) first round Carib Beer/Heroes Cup two-day first division cricket competition yesterday.
When play on the truncated day ended in fading light GINC were struggling on 54-5 replying to DCC’s 235 heading into the final day today.
DCC, without Test batsman Travis Dowlin who is still nursing a finger injury sustained in the El Dorado competition and medium pacers Paul Wintz and Andre Stoll who were resting, elected to bat on a slow track and reached 120-4 before rain stopped play at 11:42hrs.
The left-handed Griffith played some enterprising shots and along with Andrew Lyght Junior (24) added 54 for the first wicket on the small ground before off-spinner Collis Butts had Lyght taken at deep mid-wicket.
Griffith, who is set to make his Regional senior debut later this month then hit Butts to mid-on when he seemed set for a big score to leave DCC on 96-2 and when off-spinner Premchand Sookdeo, whose action raised a few eyebrows, got rid of Jaron Byron (5) and Jamal Hinckson (7), the home team had slipped to 118-4.

Guyana’s newest West Indies player Derwin Christian gathers off-side runs during his half-century for hosts DCC against GNIC yesterday (Sean Devers photo)

After play resumed at 14:30hrs in sunny conditions Butts had Cohen Ismond (22) caught at short leg at 122-5 and when Gajanand Singh (14) edged a ball which spun across him from former Test off-spinner and Chairman of the West Indies selectors Clyde Butts, DCC were in trouble at 185-6.
Christian, who recently returned from England where he played t20 games for the West Indies against the home team, was quick to pounce on the bad balls and pulled both Collis Butts and his 54-year-old father Clyde for boundaries when they pitched short.
The now familiar trend of local batsmen throwing their wickets away when well set, continued when Christian was taken at long-on for 55 off Sookdeo in the first over after Tea to leave the score on 189-7.
Carlyle Barton (14) and Omesh Danram (27) took the 216 before Barton swept a full toss from spinner Ronale Bourne to square-leg before the elder Butts removed Totaram Bishun (1) and Danram fell to Bourne.
Collis Butts had 3-42 and Sookdeo 3-65, while Clyde Butts (2-77) and Bourne (2-17) also supported for GNIC who lost both openers with the total on 11 when they began their reply.
Quincy Ovid-Richardson (5) seemed a bit unlucky to be give leg before to Griffith who opened the bowling with his off-spin and Sookdeo (1) played no shot to National under-15 pacer Dexter George and was leg before to push GNIC on the ropes.
Elton Baker got going with two glorious fours off Griffith and followed it up with consecutive boundaries off Barton and along with David Dick carried GNIC to 44 before both batsmen perished.
Dick was taken at long-on for three off Bishun while Baker (27) drove Griffith to short cover before Shawn De Souza lobbed a catch to extra cover off Bishun just before the close leaving Bourne (8*) and wicketkeeper Dexter Solomon (0*) with a lot of work to do today to being their team back into the game. Griffith (2-10) and Bishun (2-15) have both bowled well so far.
The other match scheduled for yesterday between GDF and GCC at Everest was not played because of another activity scheduled for the Everest ground and the unavailability of both the GDF ground and Bourda as non-cricket activities continue to plague the GCA competitions.  (Sean Devers)