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TCL Group regional U-19 three-day cricket (2nd round): Guyana battling for survival against Windward Islands
By Sean Devers in Barbados
In association with Digicel, TCL,
Pepsi, Smalta, Demerara Power Company
& Lifetime Reality
Leg-spinner Kerron Cottoy again tormented the Guyanese as the Windward Islands maintained their advantage on the second day of their three-day TCL Group second round regional under-19 cricket tournament at Combermere yesterday.
After making 189 in reply to Guyana’s 118, the Windwards, led by 4-47 from Skipper Cottoy who took 5-9 in the first innings, had the South Americans in trouble on 153-6 in their second innings, holding a lead of 82 with four wickets standing going into the final day.
Skipper Eugene La Fleur is unbeaten on a carefully constructed 37 from 164 minutes and 136 balls with three fours while Jeetendra Sookdeo, nursing a side strain which prevented him from fielding yesterday, is with him on six.
A lot will depend on the two if Guyana is to post a challenging victory total for the Islanders on a final day track which is expected to produce variable bounce.
The Windwards began the penultimate day on 120-3 and quickly lost four wickets for just 26 runs from 12 overs in the first hour’s play before West Indies under-19 left-arm pacer Delron Johnson hit a robust 31-ball 41 with three fours and two sixes.
Johnson, who thumped left-arm spinner Totaram Bishun for two massive sixes and a four in one over, shared in a 50-run eight wicket partnership with Oscar George who finished unbeaten on 15 to lift the Windwards from 128-7.
Junior Jervier added just a single to his overnight 24 before he was taken at mid-wicket off pacer Leon Scott at 122-4 as Guyana struck eight minutes into the day’s play.
Rudolph Paul (3) edged the lively Keon Joseph to the keeper at 125-5 while Dalton Polius who also added just one to his overnight 24, was trapped lbw to Scott.
Without addition to the score Cottoy (1) was caught behind off Herman Latcha and the Windwards, had slumped from 122-3 to 128-7.
Johnson, who toured Malaysia for the last under-19 World Cup, counter-attacked with pugnacious hitting in very windy conditions after being dropped by Bishun off Scott on five and again by Seon Hetmyer on 39 off Latcha.
The Guyanese did not pay much for the second chance since Johnson skied Latcha for a caught and bowled offering off the next ball as Latcha struck at 178-8.
Vincent Lewis (1) was removed by Latcha and Joseph trapped Alton Audain (2) leg before with the first ball of a new spell to finish off the innings on the stroke of lunch.
Latcha (3-37) was supported by Joseph (2-13), Scott (2-25) and Bishun (2-78) although the fielders allowed the opposition some free runs on a very rough outfield.
Guyana, with a deficit of 71, began their second innings solidly with Royan Fredericks and Trevon Griffith putting together 32 before three quick wickets pushed Guyana on the ropes.
The left-handed Griffith pushed forward to big turning off-break from Polius and was caught behind after reaching the boundary twice in his 25-ball 21.
Fredericks (13) fell to leg-spinner Cottoy at 40-2 while Jonathan Foo, promoted to number three in the order in place of an injured Sookdeo, again failed to justify his selection at this level and was caught at bat/pad as Cottoy struck again at 58-3.
It was soon 73-4 when Seon Hetmyer, who got his innings going with a delightful on-driven boundary off Polius, was bowled by Cottoy for 16 as the Guyana batting once again failed to fire on a flat track.
Anthony Bramble (17*) and La Fleur (0*) saw the defending champions to tea at 73-4 and in danger of their first outright defeat since they lost to Jamaica in the fourth round last year in St Kitts.
Bramble (17) fell in the first over after tea to the left-arm spin of Audian and Guyana, the most successful team in the 40-year history of regional youth cricket with 12 titles, were tottering on 85-5.
The level-headed La Fleur, one of five players in the team who played last year, was joined by Latcha and the pair batted intelligently in a 47-run partnership before Cottoy had Latcha, who battled for 80 minutes and 87 balls for 19, caught behind to leave the score on 132-6.
Sookdeo, on the back of two half-centuries in the opening round and nursing a side strain which kept him off the field all day yesterday, joined his Captain and the pair saw their team to the close to set up what could be an intriguing final day.
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