ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, (CMC) - Devon Smith looks set for another major innings as Windward Islands took control of their final preliminary round match in the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series against West Indies-B at Queen’s Park Stadium yesterday.
Smith hit a string of boundaries on his way to an undefeated 32 as Windwards, replying to West Indies-B’s modest first innings total of 197, reached 36 without loss when stumps were drawn on the opening day.
Left-hander Smith, playing on home soil, has struck three hundreds in becoming the leading scorer in this year’s championship -- he entered the match with 634 runs at an average of 70.44 -- and has helped to put Windwards in line for a place in the semifinals.
A win against the B-Team would ensure Windwards of a place, and their bowlers diligently worked their way through the opposition batting, despite gutsy knocks from Austin Richards, Jr. and Kenroy Williams.
Richards anchored the top-order batting with the top score of 74 and Williams kept the bottom half of the B-Team batting together with a knock of 40.
Deighton Butler put the skids on the B-Team when he removed Ryan Ramdass, captain Jason Haynes and Shawn Findlay cheaply in a typical workmanlike opening spell that left West Indies-B on 14 for three.
Richards batted with enterprise to race to his 50 by the time lunch had arrived with West Indies-B on 94 for three. After the interval, the problems for the visitors continued with Danza Hyatt being caught, hitting out for 20 off Windwards captain Rawl Lewis after adding 80 for the fourth wicket with Richards.
Gregory Mahabir was caught behind off Darren Sammy and Richards eventually holed out to Shillingford to send West Indies-B crashing to 157 for six at tea.
Williams hung around to give a boost to the B-Team’s total, but the visitors lost their last four wickets for 26 runs.
Both sides made one change each to their teams. Windward Islands, fourth on 36 points, brought in Sergio Fedee for Kenroy Peters, while West Indies-B, sixth on 27 points, swapped Gregory Mahabir with Patrick Browne.
WEST INDIES-B 1st innings
J. Haynes c wkpr James b Butler 3
R. Ramdass c Martin b Butler 3
S. Findlay c Sammy b Butler 6
A. Richards c Butler b Shillingford 74
D. Hyatt c Butler b Lewis 20
G. Mahabir c wkpr James b Sammy 19
K. Williams c Sammy b Lewis 40
R. Austin b Shillingford 2
D. Washington c Smith b Shillingford 18
J. Bennett b Shillingford 0
D. George not out 0
Extras: (lb6, w2, nb4) 12
Total: (all out) 197
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-9, 3-14, 4-94, 5-124, 6-153, 7-171, 8-179, 9-197.
Bowling: Thomas 15-4-35-0, Butler 12-2-40-3, Sammy 10-1-20-1, Shillingford 19-5-50-4, Lewis 21-9-46-2.
WINDWARD ISLANDS 1st innings
D. Smith not out 32
R. Currency not out 2
Extras: (nb-2) 2
Total: (without loss) 36
Bowling: Washington 4-0-9-0, Bennett 3-0-11-0, Williams 2-0-7-0, Austin 2-0-9-0.