ROSEAU, Dominica, (CMC) - Windward Islands collected first innings points when Guyana’s batting again failed in their bottom-of-the-table third round match of the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series at the Botanic Gardens yesterday.
Windward Islands, leading Guyana by 12 on first innings, were 13 without loss in their second innings when stumps were drawn on the second day, after the Guyanese were bowled out 192, replying to the home team’s modest first innings total of 204.
Only Travis Dowlin with a defiant 78 showed any prolonged period of resistance with the bat for Guyana, whose batting badly missed the services of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Carl Hooper, the three linchpins in recent times.
Dowlin batted for close to five hours, faced 176 balls and struck half-dozen fours and one six before being the eighth batsman dismissed - run-out by Romel Currency’s throw from backward square leg to the ’keeper.
Fast bowler Cameron Cuffy and off-spin bowler Shane Shillingford equally shared six wickets and captain Rawl Lewis added the last two wickets in a heartening performance from the Windwards, after they were crushed in three days in their previous match against Barbados.
After Windwards lost their last wicket of Cuffy with the fifth ball of the day from Neil McGarrell for the addition of one run, they diligently worked their way through the Guyana batting, restricting the visitors to 80 for four at lunch.
Windwards had early success when opening batsman Krishna Arjune was adjudged lbw to Cuffy for five and fellow opener Sewnarine Chattergoon was bowled by the same bowler for the same score to leave the visitors 20 for two.
Dowlin and Narsingh Deonarine defied the Windwards bowlers for close to an hour to add 41 for the third wicket, which was the highest partnership of the innings.
Two wickets, both to Shillingford, in the last half-hour before the interval, set Guyana back.
Deonarine was caught behind for 26 and Lennox Cush was caught at extra cover for a duck, looking to loft a delivery back over the bowler’s head.
After the lunch interval, the Windwards continued to apply the pressure with accurate bowling and, despite Dowlin reaching his half-century, Guyana went in to tea at 139 for seven, clearly in danger of conceding first innings.
Andre Percival, who has had a chequered career for Guyana and is playing his first match for the season, was lbw to Cuffy for nine after he and Dowlin took the total to 100.
Neil McGarrell soon followed caught at first slip off Fernix Thomas for seven and Mahendra Nagamootoo tried his big-hitting act, but failed when he was caught at slip off Shillingford for 14.
After the tea break, Guyana showed they had some sting in their tail, with the Dowlin and Vishal Nagamootoo, 28 not out, posting 34 for the eighth wicket to raise the visitors’ expectations, but the Windwards made sure there was no comeback story.
WINDWARD ISLANDS 1st innings (overnight 203 for nine)
D. Smith c Percival b Crandon 7
R. Currency c wkpr V. Nagamootoo b M. Nagamooto 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 (Crandon) 1
O. Jackson c Chattergoon b Cush 1
F. Thomas not out 5
C. Cuffy c Dowlin b McGarrell 6
Extras: (b-2, lb-4, nb-7) 13
Total: (all out) 204
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-17, 3-83, 4-87, 5-125, 6-160, 7-165, 8-177, 9-197.