Dowlin, Hooper rally Guyana to 205 for five
From Frederick Halley at Albion
GUYANA, led by half-centuries from Travis Dowlin and captain Carl Hooper, staged a recovery after a shaky start against Jamaica on the opening day of their sixth round Busta Cup cricket match at Albion, yesterday. At the close of an absorbing day's play, Guyana, sent in to bat, were 205 for five with Hooper not out 62 and Lennox Cush on 10.
Dowlin, who made a solid 77 and Hooper shared a vital fifth-wicket stand of 97 in 135 minutes after Guyana were reeling on 74 for four just after lunch.
Young fast medium bowler Darren Powell and experienced off-spinner Nehemiah Perry have been Jamaica's most successful bowlers with two wickets each for 26 and 42 runs respectively.
The stocky Dowlin, who had scores of 116 not out against West Indies B and 58 against Trinidad and Tobago in earlier matches, batted solidly until a lapse in concentration caused his downfall.
Playing a loose drive to a Powell delivery, Dowlin looked somewhat perplexed when given marching orders by debutant Dominican umpire Lennox Abraham on a caught-behind decision by wicketkeeper Keith Hibbert.
His knock included eight exquisite fours in 226 minutes from 223 balls.
After his dismissal, Hooper, who started the match with 530 runs, moved his tally to within eight of the 600-mark by the close.
Hooper once again mixed aggression with defence during his classy knock which has so far spanned 200 minutes and 167 balls and contained six fours.
Earlier, Guyana made a disastrous start losing recalled opener Nicholas de Groot for a duck and out-of-form Keith Semple (2) with only three runs on the board.
The in-form Ramnaresh Sarwan made a cameo 21 before he was bowled by Perry, leaving Guyana on 57 for three at lunch.
On resumption, Guyana lost the wicket of left-handed opener Azeemul Haniff for 21 when he was lbw to Perry, but Hooper and Dowlin then came together to revive the innings.
Jamaica received a setback in the final session when key paceman Franklyn Rose crashed into the boundary fence and aggravated an old right ankle injury.
Rose was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital for treatment to the badly swollen ankle and according to Jamaica's manager Lyndell Wright he is unlikely to take any further part in the match.
Guyana omitted Kevin Bazil and Eion Katchay, while Jamaica left out Brenton Parchment and Audley Sanson.
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