KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC) – Runako Morton and Omari Banks stroked powerful half-centuries to post a Leeward Islands total that was always beyond the winless Canada at the Melbourne Cricket Club yesterday in the penultimate game of the Red Stripe Bowl’s Zone A.
The Leewards scored the second highest total in the Zone so far, getting up to 265 for seven from their 50 overs with Morton slamming 82 and Banks an unbeaten 77.
Canada initially made a combative challenge but then fell quickly in the end to Tonito Willett’s swinging medium pace for 180 all out from 46.4 overs to lose by 85 runs.
Willett, swinging the ball into the left-handers, finished with five for 19 from seven overs to register the second five-wicket haul in the Jamaica.
At one point his figures read five wickets for two as he rocked the stumps of Umar Bhatti and Zahid Hussain for second ball ducks and trapped Abdool Samad (2) and Kevin Sandher (0) lbw.
His other wicket was that of top-scorer Asif Mulla who was caught by Chaka Hodge at long on as he tried to clear the fence.
Most of the damage was done in the 38th over when Willett sent back Samad, Bhatti and Hussain, all with the score on 150.
Mulla, opening the batting, played with a thoughtful combination of aggression and defence which saw him register the Canadian team’s second half-century this season with an accomplished 66.
He hit three sixes as straight as an arrow and four fours through the leg-side, always pouncing on the shorter balls.
Spending 130 minutes at the wicket, during which time he faced 113 balls, Mulla added 60 runs for the second wicket with Don Maxwell, the Barbados-born right-hander who spanked 31 from 41 balls with three fours and a six.
The two launched into opening bowler Elsroy Powell and medium pacer Steve Liburd, playing his first match.
Powell’s three overs went for 31, while Liburd’s 2.4 cost 20.
The other opening bowler, left-arm orthodox spinner Frank Monzac sealed one end, bowling his ten overs for 16 runs without taking any wickets.
Sunil Dhaniram, was the next highest scorer for Canada with 23, while Austin Codrington who was last man out, bowled by Liburd, followed with 20.
Canada had asked the Leewards XI to take first strike and their opening bowlers began to suffer immediately.
Alex Adams, smashing 24 from 25 balls, and Morton, hammered medium pacers Codrington and Ashish Patel for 45 from eight overs before Adams went caught at cover.
Captain Stuart Williams (21) and Willett (10) played hurried knocks to allow Banks and Morton to post a 90-run partnership, moving the score from 97 for three to 187 for four.
Morton, seemed anxious for a triple figure score, rarely playing defensive shots against his 120 balls.
The out-of-favour West Indies one-day player cracked two sixes and five fours during his innings.
After he fell, Banks prodded along and then exploded in the last five overs being mainly responsible for the 51 runs, which were scored near the end.
The rookie West Indies all-rounder hit three sixes onto the high concrete wall of the ground along with four fours in his 80 ball innings.
Dhaniram was Canada’s top bowler, taking two for 21 from ten overs, while Hussain also bagged two, and there was one apiece for Patel and Bhatti.
Headliners Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, both already assured of semi-final places will clash at Sabina Park in the final Zone match today.
LEEWARDS XI innings
A.Adams c Dhaniram b Bhatti 24
R.Morton b Hussain 82
*S.Williams c Codrington b Dhaniram 21
T.Willett lbw Dhaniram 10
O.Banks not out 77
C.Hodge stp. wkp. Mulla (sub.) b Hussain 3
C.Tuckett run-out 16
+J.Williams c Bhatti b Patel 16
E.Powell not out 4
Extras: (lb-5, w-5, nb-2) 12
Total: (for seven wickets - 50 overs) 265
Fall of wickets: 1-45, 2-81, 3-97, 4-187, 5-195, 6-219, 7-250.