CAVE HILL, Barbados, CMC – Leeward Islands met resistance from left-handers Anthony Alleyne and Raymond Reifer, after Steve Liburd gathered a resolute half-century to anchor them to a first innings lead over Combined Campuses and Colleges in the Regional Four-Day Championship yesterday. Alleyne was not out on 34 and Reifer was not out on 17, as CCC reached 73 for two in their second innings at the close on the second day of the fourth round match at the Three Ws Oval, for a lead of 10.
The two left-handers have spent 1-¼ hours at the crease, sharing 38 for the third wicket, preventing the Leewards from making inroads into the CCC batting in a bid for their first victory of the season.
Liburd had hit the top score of 53, as Leewards were bowled out for 243 in their first innings about 10 minutes before tea.
The burly Liburd, a former Leewards captain, came to the crease with his side on 70 for four and when he departed almost 2-¼ hours later following a 108-ball innings that included 10 boundaries, the visitors held a lead of two, which the tail-enders duly extended.
Tonito Willett scored 44, Devon Thomas added 40, Anthony Martin, batting at 11, got 24 and Akeem Saunders was not out on 21.
Liburd put on 40 for the fifth wicket with Thomas before adding 69 with Willett for the sixth wicket to take the Leewards over the threshold with a firm drive off leg-spinner Akeem Dewar through mid-off for his final boundary.
Kevin McClean was the most successful CCC bowler with three for 39 from 13 overs and Kesrick Williams scalped two for 37 from 11 overs. Willett then ended an early flurry from CCC opener Shacaya Thomas, trapping him lbw for 21, playing back and across.
Martin also gained an lbw decision to remove CCC captain Kyle Corbin for one, leaving the hosts 35 for two.
But Reifer came to the crease and provided solid support for Alleyne, batting through the remainder of the day. Reifer was fortunate on zero when Liburd went from hero to villain, putting down a regulation chance at slip off Martin.
The CCC left-hander also came close to gifting his wicket, when he edged the same bowler inches from the finger-tips of gully fielder Kieran Powell before he had reached double figures – but continued to plod away to survive until the close.
Leewards, starting the day on 62 for three, lost current captain Sylvester Joseph caught behind for two, stabbing at a lifting delivery from Williams inside the first 10 minutes of the day.
Thomas was unflappable throughout his knock before he was caught behind off Dewar playing defensively forward on the stroke of morning’s drinks break.
Liburd and Willett batted merrily, carrying Leewards to 168 for five at lunch before taking their team past their opponents’ total after the interval.
The partnership came to an end tragically, when Liburd was run out in a mix-up with Willett, after he played a delivery from off-spinner Ryan Austin to extra cover and tried to steal a run.
Willett too, looked set for a half-century, but he was caught low down at extra cover off McClean from a mistimed drive just before Leewards reached the 200-run threshold.This triggered a wobble for the Leewards, as Larry Joseph was lbw to McClean for a duck and Tonge was caught at first slip off the same bowler for two, leaving the visitors 202 for nine.
