PHILIPSBURG, St Maarten, (CMC) - The Windward Islands solidly began a first innings chase against the Leeward Islands on the second day of their fifth round Carib Beer Series match at the Carib Ground, yesterday.
Responding to the Leewards’ first innings score of 378 for nine declared, the Windwards closed on 40 without loss with Devon Smith not out on 27 and Rommel Currency on nine.
Windwards captain Rawl Lewis led his troops with figures of four for 82 off 34 overs, while his opposite number Stuart Williams (74) and Tonito Willett (65) stroked valuable half-centuries to highlight a competitive day.
From a 9.30 a.m. start to make up for lost time on Friday and an overnight 82 for two, the Leewards had enjoyed a productive morning session, featuring Williams’ blazing 33-ball half-century.
After Shane Jeffers was dislodged by leg-spinner Lewis for 32 at 105 for three, Williams joined Tonito Willett and the two Nevisians damaged the Windwards bowling in a third-wicket century stand before lunch.
Williams gave two chances but continued going for his shots and the partnership was already worth 116 runs when they took lunch at 221 for three.
On six Williams was dropped at slip by Rommel Currency, off medium pacer Darren Sammy, and he had another reprieve on 21 when Cameron Cuffy floored an easy chance at cover off Shane Shillingford.
The unlucky off-spinner was smashed for two sixes over extra-cover during the session by Williams, who raced past Willett to go to the break on 69, with five fours and four sixes.
Willett reached his fifty off 115 balls, counting three fours and a six.
The Windwards had immediate success after the lunch break when Williams, attempting to sweep Lewis, was caught at backward square by Butler at 232 for four, and seven runs later Willett departed to a superb diving catch by Shillingford at backward point as he attacked Lewis.
Williams, who shared in a 127-run partnership with Willett, hit his 74 off 88 balls with seven fours and four sixes.
Willett hit three fours and a six in his knock.
Lewis bagged another wicket when he bowled Wilden Cornwall for 24, the right-hander edging onto his stumps as he tried to pull to mid-wicket.
Carl Tuckett fell next at 305 for seven when he edged left-arm pacer Butler to wicketkeeper Lindon James just before tea.
Wicketkeeper Jason Williams lashed a 71-ball 42, with four boundaries in the final session and shared in a 53-run eighth-wicket stand with Virgil Browne (25 not out) that bulged the Leewards’ total beyond the 350-mark.
Jason Williams was eventually caught at wide mid-on by Shillingford when he swung at pacer Fernix Thomas, who also removed Adam Sanford (9) caught behind, and the declaration came soon after, at 4.47 local time.
Thomas (2-67), Butler (1-46) and Sammy (1-48) were the other wicket-takers for the Windwards.
Facing 13 overs before the close, the Windwards sliced 40 runs off the deficit and need another 339 runs for first innings points.
Smith struck two fours - one through covers and the other to the long-on boundary -- off left-arm spinner Browne in the day’s last over to end the day on a bright note for the Windwards.
LEEWARDS 1st innings (overnight 82 for 2)
A.Adams c Thomas b Sammy 40
S.Jeffers c Thomas b Lewis 32
S.Joseph run-out 1
T.Willett c Shillingford b Lewis 65
S.Williams c Butler b Lewis 74
W.Cornwall b Lewis 24
C.Tuckett c wkp. James b Butler 35
J.Williams c Shillingford b Thomas 42
V.Browne not out 25
A.Sanford c wkp. James b Thomas 9
K.Jeremy not out 0
Extras: (b-2, lb-12, w-2, nb-15) 31
Total: (for 9 declared - 120 overs) 378
Fall of wickets: 1-68, 2-71, 3-105, 4-232, 5-239, 6-286, 7-305, 8-358, 9-376.
Bowling: Cuffy 18-5-32-0 (nb-3), Thomas 15-1-67-2 (nb-1), Sammy 16-1-48-1 (nb-4, w-2), Lewis 34-5-82-4 (nb-3), Shillingford 22-1-84-0 (nb-3), Butler 14-3-46-1 (nb-1), Martin 1-0-5-0.
WINDWARDS 1st innings
D.Smith not out 27
R.Currency not out 9
Extras: (lb-1, w-2, nb-1) 4
Total: (without loss) 40
Bowling: Jeremy 4-0-6-0, Sanford 5-0-19-0, Browne 4-2-14-0.