Middle order keeps Harpy Eagles aloft on Day one

Mar 16, 2023 Sports

2023 West Indies Championship…

– Dowrich reaches triple figures for Pride

Kaieteur News – Current Leader of the 2023 West Indies Championship, Guyana Harpy Eagles, finished Day one of their four-day match against Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Red Force on a high note, when the tournament resumed yesterday with three matches in Guyana and T&T.

Kevin Sinclair

Shane Dowrich

At the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BCLA), Guyana were led by an effective middle order performance to reach 324 in their first innings, while at the Guyana National Stadium (GNS), 17 wickets fell in the three sessions between Jamaica Scorpions and Windward Islands Volcanoes, as the former trails by  119 runs going into day two.

In the other match at Queen’s Park Oval (QPO), defending champion, Barbados Pride, were led by a captain’s knock from Shane Dowrich, who recorded the season’s sixth century, in his team’s stand of 294 – 8 at close of play.

Over in Tarouba at the BCLA, Red Force won the toss and gave Harpy Eagles the opportunity to bat first, which seemed to bring success early on as Tevin Imlach (4), Kevlon Anderson (6) and Matthew Nandu (10) were all removed cheaply to leave Guyana at 33 – 3 in the 18^th over.

That brought together the skipper, Leon Johnson, and Kemol Savory, to stage a brilliant recovery. The pair added 97 runs before Savory was dismissed on 44 with the score on 130 in the 45^th over.

Johnson was able to reach another first class half century but fell on 62, ten runs later; an innings he decorated with 11 boundaries. Anthony Bramble was at the other end and his new partner was Kevin Sinclair.

The new pair added 79-runs, 47 of which were contributed by Bramble, who made a run-a-ball 56 that included seven fours and a maximum. The score reached 219 then Guyana’s wicketkeeper was adjudged lbw.

Sinclair followed up his unbeaten half century in the second round with another First Class fifty. The right-hander top scored with an amusing 69 from 96 deliveries. He featured in an 88-run partnership with an aggressive Keemo Paul.

Sinclair and Paul lost their wickets exactly one over apart; Paul missed out on a First Class half century after sub

Rahkeem Cornwall

mitting too many exuberant shots and was caught on the deep square leg boundary on 46; Guyana were 311 – 8.

Veerasammy Permaul (5) replaced Sinclair while Ronsford Beaton (6*) replaced Paul, but, Permaul’s stay was brief. That introduced Nial Smith, who also added six runs, then lost his wicket to end Guyana’s innings in 86.3 overs.

Imran Khan and Bryan Charles both claimed three wickets for the host team, while Uthman Muhammad supported with two wickets and Darren Bravo had one.

T&T began their reply with one over left in the day’s play; they reached 7 – 0 and will resume today with Jeremy Solozano (5) and Keagan Simmons (0) out in the middle, trailing by 317 runs.

16 wickets tumble at Providence…

At the GNS, it was a day welcomed by the bowlers as Windward Islands were dismissed for 217 in 60.3 overs but defended well to restrict Jamaica to 98 – 7 at stumps.

Round two centurion, Alick Athanaze, was in a great position to reach his second First Class century but lost his wicket as he led Volcanoes’ batting order with a resistant 81. Justin Greaves supported with an even half century while Tevyn Walcott (22) and Shermon Lewis (14) contributed the next highest scores.

Derval Green ended with figures of 5 – 30 from 11 overs for Jamaica and was assisted by Nicholson Gordon and Jamie Merchant, who each had two wickets. Abhijai Mansingh accounted for the other wicket.

Jamaica were tasked with facing 21 overs before stumps but unfortunately began their reply terribly with Leroy Lugg (16), Kirk McKenzie (4), Nkrumah Bonner (17), Paul Palmer (0), Mansingh (1) and Aldane Thomas (0) all being dismissed inside 11 overs as the side slid to 41-6.

Green (30*) and Merchant (24) staged an entertaining recovery to push Jamaica to 98 before the loss of the seventh wicket. The umpires called close of play with Jamaica trailing by 119 when Merchant was removed.

Justin Greaves lead Volcanoes with 4 – 34, while Lewis has two wickets and Ryan John has one wicket.

Dowrich century lifts Barbados’ Pride…

Barbados Pride were the only team to last the entire day with the bat thanks to a brilliant unbeaten century of 116 from Dowrich. However, Dowrich will have to share the highlight reel with Rahkeem Cornwall, who was equally impressive with the ball for Hurricanes.

While Dowrich stood firm for 191 deliveries, nine of which were fours and one – a maximum, Cornwall claimed another five-wicket haul to end the day with 6 – 50 from 24 overs.

Kevin Wickham (41) and Chaim Holder (43) found valuable runs for Barbados as Zachary McCaskie (26), Sheyne Moseley (4), Jonathan Drakes (22) and Dominic Drakes (22) were all stopped in their tracks by Cornwall.

Sheeno Berridge and Colin Archibald also claimed a wicket in Barbados’ 88-over first day performance.

Today, the tournament resumes from 9:30 hrs. All matches are live streamed on Cricket West Indies’ youtube channel.

• Barbados Pride, Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BCLA), Guyana Harpy Eagles, Jamaica Scorpions, Windward Islands Volcanoes