From Calvin Roberts in Barbados
Compliments of Ansa McAl, Cummings Electrical, Lifetime Realty, P&P Insurance, Cellular Plus and Hanes (Guyana) Limited
Rain had the final say on the first day of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)/ TCL-sponsored 2008 under-19 third round clash between Guyana and Barbados at the Cable and Wireless/BET ground yesterday.
Two interruptions at 210pm when Barbados were 87-2 and at 246pm after they had reached 96-2 curtailed an already delayed day’s play.
The scheduled 10am start was pushed back to 1230pm because the bowlers’ run up on both sides of the wicket was wet and when play did get underway, Barbados were asked to take first strike by stand-in captain Royan Fredericks.
They lost the inform Rashidi Boucher who played on to a short delivery whilst attempting a pull shot off the lively Keon Joseph for one in the second over of their innings but captain Kyle Corbin and 15-year-old batting dynamo Kraigg Braithwaite posted 52 runs for the second wicket.
Corbin was severe on fast bowler Leon Scott whom he on drove for four and then dispatched over midwicket for six while Braithwaite was content on taking the singles and giving Corbin the strike.
The home team’s 50 materialized when Corbin drove Dillon Heyliger through mid-on in the 11th over.
Heyliger took the place of the injured Guyana captain Eugene La Fleur who picked up a sprain ankle prior to the scheduled start of play.
When Herman Latcha replaced Joseph, Corbin attempted to hit him over extra cover but picked out the moving Fredericks who held onto the catch.
Braithwaite then came into his own with a straight drive down the ground off Joseph and he also struck Totaram Bishun over extra cover and then through midwicket for boundaries.
Latcha too was not spared and he was driven through the cover point region for another one of Braithwaite’s three fours in his unbeaten 34.
Royston Chase had replaced Corbin, and after surviving some anxious moments against the spin pair of Bishun and Latcha, he got a short delivery from Bishun (7-1-26-0) which he duly pulled to backward square for four.
When the rains came the home team was 96-2 with Braithwaite on 34 (3×4; 81 balls) and Chase on 21. Latcha has so far taken 1- 16 and Joseph 1-14.
Play is set to continue from 10am today.
Coach Hubern Evans yesterday expressed his disappointment at the weather and said he was looking for a full day’s play to dismiss the home team for a total below 200.
“We are still looking at getting them out below that total. On a sadder note, the absence of the first choice captain (Eugene La Fleur) may have sunken the players’ spirits, but Fredericks (Royan) has done an impressive job to date and we should get them out under 200.”
The 51-year-old Evans added:” We will be looking to get at least first innings points from this encounter as more than likely the rain will intervene thus reducing the time to press for an outright victory. But first innings points will cement our place at the top.”
Manager of the team Alvin Johnson told the local media that La Fleur suffered a twisted ankle during the team’s warm up session and, in the interest of his participation during the remainder of the tournament, the management team decided to rest him for this encounter.
Jeetendra Sookdeo, who picked up a slight side strain at the same ground the team is playing is continuing to receive therapy and is responding very well, whilst the results of fast bowler Leon Scott’s x-ray is to be submitted to the physiotherapist department for further evaluation.
Scoreboard
BARBADOS 1st Innings
R. Boucher b Joseph 1
K. Brathwaite not out 34
*+K. Corbin c *Fredericks b Latcha 34
R. Chase not out 21
Extras (nb6) 6
TOTAL (2 wkts) 96
D. Cummins, M. Benn, J. Holder, R. Reifer, D. Vaughn, J. Marshall, R. Hoyte to bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-53.
Bowling: Scott 5-0-30-0 (nb3); Joseph 5-1-14-1 (nb3); Heyliger 2-0-9-0; Latcha 8.1-1-17-1; Bishun 7-1-26-0.
GUYANA: *R. Fredricks, T. Griffith, J. Sookdeo, S. Hetimyer, J. Foo, D. Heyliger, +A. Bramble, H. Lathca, K. Joseph, T. Bishun, L. Scott.
Toss: Guyana.
Umpires: R. Broomes, A. Farrell.
