CHARLESTOWN, Nevis, CMC - West Indies-B, on the back of defiant half-centuries from Patrick Browne and Danza Hyatt, defied the Leeward Islands bowling attack and batted through the opening day of their third round Carib Beer Series match at Grove Park, yesterday.
Sending the Leewards to field after winning the toss, West Indies-B finished on 313 for seven with Browne (71) and Jason Bennett (27) the not-out batsmen.
Wicketkeeper/batsman Browne and Hyatt (65) pulled the regional ‘Development’ side out of trouble after lunch with an 85-run sixth-wicket stand, and Bennett continued the revival with Browne in an unfinished half-century partnership.
West Indies-B, lying fourth in the standings, made a fair start, reaching 88 for two at the lunch break after losing Ryan Ramdass (32) and Shawn Findlay (8) in the game’s first session.
Jason Haynes, taking over as captain from Dinesh Ramdin who has left to perform West Indies Youth World Cup duties, and Ramdass posted a 57-run first-wicket stand before Ramdass found Tonito Willett on the long on boundary with a lofted drive against left-arm spinner Virgil Browne.
Ramdass stroked four boundaries in a 53-ball knock.
It became 85 for two approaching the lunch break when the left-handed Shawn Findlay smashed a return catch to off-spinner Willett, who sharply clutched a reflex head high catch.
Haynes, 40 at lunch, added only five runs after the break before he became Kerry Jeremy’s first victim.
The Antiguan seamer induced an edged catch to Alex Adams at second slip as Haynes attempted to drive and departed for 45, with eight boundaries.
Ten runs later, the West Indies-B team lost Kenroy Williams (12) caught behind by Jason Williams, cutting at a delivery from Browne that was too close to him, as the score dipped to 104 for four.
Adams then snared his second slip catch when Gregory Mahabir (3) tried to cut a short delivery from Jeremy at a wobbly 123 for five.
But Hyatt and Browne rallied the young side to a teatime score of 172 for five.
Hyatt departed at 218 for six when he drove Browne to Sylvester Joseph at mid-off. He struck three fours and crashed a straight six off Browne in his knock of 65.
Off-spinner Alex Adams bowled Ryan Austin (17) at 249 for seven, but Browne, cutting and driving fluently, played well to the close with Bennett.
Browne has so far stroked seven fours and Bennett has belted four boundaries in their unfinished 64-run stand for the eighth wicket.
Browne, with three for 77 off 28 overs, has led the Leewards bowling so far, while Jeremy (2-75), Willett (1-13) and Adams (1-20) shared the other wickets.
The Leewards made one change to their team that drew with Kenya in the second round, bringing in Test pacer Adam Sanford to replace Wilden Cornwall, while the West Indies-B have made four changes in their side that lost to Trinidad and Tobago last weekend.
Austin, Browne, and debutants Findlay and Dennis George are in for Anderson Sealy, and Youth World Cup-bound Ramdin, Assad Fudadin, and Lendl Simmons.
WEST INDIES-B 1st innings
J.Haynes c Adams b Jeremy 45
R.Ramdass c Willett b V.Browne 32
S.Findlay c & b Willett 8
D.Hyatt c Joseph b V.Browne 65
K.Williams c wkp. J.Williams b V.Browne 12
G.Mahabir c Adams b Jeremy 3
P.Browne not out 71
R.Austin b Adams 17
J.Bennett not out 27
Extras: (b-10, lb-11, w-7, nb-5) 33
Total: (for 7 wickets) 313
Fall of wickets: 1-57, 2-85, 3-94, 4-104, 5-123, 6-218, 7-249.