ROSEAU, Dominica, (CMC) - Half-centuries from newcomer Roland Wilkinson and captain Rawl Lewis were the bedrock of a fighting batting performance from Windward Islands against Guyana in their bottom-of-the-table third round clash of the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series at the Botanic Gardens yesterday.
Wilkinson gave the innings early momentum in hitting the top score of 64 and Lewis held the bottom half together in scoring 56 to lead the Windwards to 203 for nine in their first innings when stumps were drawn after they chose to bat on a rain-affected opening day.
Leg-spin bowler Mahendra Nagamootoo was the most successful Guyana bowler with four wickets for 79 runs from 42 overs and Lennox Cush took two for 20 from four overs, after the start of play was delayed by 1-1/2 hours.
Windwards suffered a setback even before the toss of the coin with the news that Junior Murray, one of the linchpins of their batting, would be sidelined with back troubles.
Losing opening batsmen Romel Currency and Devon Smith in the half hour of play before lunch to leave the score 17 for two at the interval would not have lifted the mood too much. Smith was caught at gully off Esuan Crandon for seven and Currency was caught behind off Mahendra Nagamootoo for two.
After the interval, Wilkinson, who was dropped at slip by Neil McGarrell, the Guyana captain, off Crandon when two, and Lindon James added 66 for the third wicket to repair the damage for the Windwards.
They were just beginning to unwind when Nagamootoo struck twice in the space of four runs to send the home team crashing to 87 for four. James was caught at long-off off Nagamootoo for 27 and Darren Sammy was caught behind off Neil McGarrell, the Guyana captain, for four to set the Windwards back.
This paved the way for a 38-run fifth-wicket partnership between Wilkinson and Lewis. The Windwards newcomer, who played a chancy innings, was eventually caught at backward point after hitting eight boundaries in his knock as the Windwards sipped tea on 135 for five.
After the break, the Guyanese began to work their way through the Windwards batting, but were not penetrative enough to complete the demolition job. Nagamootoo had Shane Shillingford caught at slip for 18 and soon after Deighton Butler was run-out for one by Crandon’s throw from cover to the striker’s end.
Cush claimed the last two wickets when Orlanzo Jackson was caught at forward short leg for one offering bat-pad catch to the part-time bowler’s second ball and Lewis, dropped on 20 at deep midwicket by Cush off Nagamootoo, was this time caught at deep mid-wicket after smashing six fours and two sixes.
Windwards made two changes to their side bringing in Wilkinson and Butler for the injured pair of Junior Murray and Craig Emmanuel, while Guyana too, swapped two players omitting Azeemul Haniff and Rayon Thomas for Andre Percival and Esuan Crandon.
Windwards are seventh on six points; Guyana, uncharacteristically, are last with no points.
WINDWARD ISLANDS 1st innings
D. Smith c Percival b Crandon 7
R. Currency c wkpr V. Nagamootoo b M. Nagamootoo 2
R. Wilkinson c Chattergoon b M. Nagamootoo 64
L. James c Crandon b M. Nagamootoo 27
D. Sammy c wkpr V. Nagamootoo b McGarrell 4
R. Lewis c Arjune b Cush 56
S. Shillingford c McGarrell b M. Nagamootoo 18
D. Butler run-out 1
O. Jackson c Chattergoon b Cush 1
F. Thomas not out 4
C. Cuffy not out 6
Extras: (b-2, lb-4, nb-7) 13
Total; (9 wkts) 203
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-17, 3-83, 4-87, 5-125, 6-160, 7-165, 8-177, 9-197.
GUYANA: S. Chattergoon, K. Arjune, A. Percival, L. Cush, N. Deonarine, T.Dowlin, V. Nagamootoo, M. Nagamootoo, N. McGarrell, E. Crandon, R. Griffith. Toss: Windward Islands.