GROS ISLET, St Lucia, CMC – West Indies opener Devon Smith sent a reminder to selectors about his ability with a sterling century as Windward Islands overpowered Combined Campuses and Colleges on the second day of their first round match in the Regional Four-Day Championship here yesterday.
The left-hander, who played the last of his 33 Tests nearly two years ago, punched 139 to guide the Windwards to 303 for five, just six runs shy of first innings points at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.
The knock was his 20th first class century and comes just weeks before Zimbabwe arrive in the Caribbean for a Test and one-day tour.
Earlier, the CCC gained precious runs after their tail wagged, carrying their overnight 280 to nine to 309 all out with Jason Dawes finishing unbeaten on 27.
Fast bowler Nelon Pascal took the last wicket to fall to claim figures of three for 92 while off-spinner Shane Shillingford (3-76), left-arm spinner Garey Mathurin (2-44) and fast bowler Delorn Johnson (2-50) gave support.
What followed next left the CCC stunned as Smith and Tyrone Theophile, who struck 54, went for their shots as the Windwards raced to 62 without loss in the 14 overs available before lunch.
Overall, the pair posted 122 for the first wicket in quick time, with Smith leading the way with an innings that contained 16 fours and lasted 166 balls in just under four hours of batting.
Theophile, meanwhile, traded mainly in boundaries with 11 of them coming in his cameo 63-ball knock that lasted 105 minutes.
Leg-spinner Akeem Dewar broke the stand when he had Theophile caught and bowled, the first of his four wickets which cost 104 runs from a marathon 28 overs.
However, there was still no reprieve for CCC as Andre Fletcher, who carved out a solid 41, added a further 81 for the second wicket.
The right-handed Fletcher faced 85 balls in 103 minutes at the crease and counted three fours before becoming one of two wickets in successive overs from Dewar, that left the Windwards on 207 for three.
Smith, however, marched on unperturbed, putting on 34 for the fourth wicket with Donwell Hector (6), that kept the innings alive.
Hector fell to a catch at the wicket, making room to cut off-spinner Ryan Austin at 241 for four and Smith’s lovely innings ended with eight runs added, when he banged Dewar to Shacaya Thomas at cover.
Things did not fall apart as Dalton Polius (29 not out) and captain Lyndon James (22 not out), put on 54 in an unbroken sixth wicket partner
ship.
Scoreboard
CCC 1st Innings
(overnight 280 for nine)
S Thomas lbw b Johnson 21
A Alleyne c Pascal b Johnson 84
*K Corbin c Johnson b Shillingford 57
+C Walton c Smith b Shilingford 27
R Reifer lbw b Shillingford 16
F Reifer c Fletcher b Pascal 11
N Parris c Smith b Pascal 9
A Dewar c Smith b Mathurin 3
K McClean c wkp James b Mathurin 28
J Dawes not out 27
R Austin c Theophile b Pascal 8
Extras (b8, lb2, w3, nb5) 18
TOTAL (all out, 98.4 overs) 309
Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-154, 3-183, 4-211, 5-224, 6-224, 7-235, 8-256, 9-272, 10-309.
Bowling: Pascal 21.4-4-92-3 (w1, nb5), Johnson 17-5-50-2 (w2), Mathurin 17-3-44-2, Shillingford 34-9-76-3, Polius 9-0-37-0.
WINDWARDS 1st Innings
D Smith c Thomas b Dewar 139
T Theophile c & b Dewar 54
A Fletcher c Corbin b Dewar 41
K Lesporis c McClean b Dewar 4
D Hector c wkp Walton b Austin 1
D Polius not out 29
*+L James not out 22
Extras (lb3, w1, nb4) 8
TOTAL (5 wkts, 79 overs) 303
Fall of wickets: 1-122, 2-203, 3-207, 4-241, 5-249.
To bat: G Mathurin, S Shillingford, N Pascal, D Johnson.
Bowling: McClean 7-0-34-0 (w1), Dawes 11-2-52-0, Austin 18-2-75-1 (nb4), Dewar 28-1-104-4, R Reifer 6-1-25-0, Parris 9-1-10-0.
Position: Windwards trail CCC by six runs with five wickets intact.
Umpires: Nigel Duguid, Zahid Bassarath.