TCL Group regional U-19 three-day cricket (2nd round)

Jul 12, 2008 Sports

Cottoy (8-89) befuddles Guyana, but defending champs register come-from-behind win

By Sean Devers in Barbados
In association with Digicel, TCL,
Pepsi, Smalta, Demerara Power Company
& Lifetime Reality

Windward Islands Skipper Kerron Cottoy befuddled the Guyanese batsmen with a career best 8-89 but his effort failed to prevent Guyana from registering a come-from-behind 47-run win in their second round TCL Group regional under-19 three-day cricket tournament at Combermere yesterday.

Set 147 to win in a minimum of 54 overs, the Windwards crashed to 99 all out after Guyana were dismissed for 217 from an overnight score of 153-6.

Pint size Guyana Skipper Eugene La Fleur hit a defiant 237-ball 70 from 249 minutes with six fours while Cottoy’s fourth five-wicket haul at this level gave the Vincentian match figures of 13-98. He set a new Windward Islands record at this level by bettering the 12-81 taken by leg-spinner Rawle Lewis against Barbados in 1993 in St Kitts.

La Fleur, who opened the bowling with his left-arm spin, returned to take 3-34 while left-arm back-of-the-arm spinner Totaram Bishun had 3-9 in the unsuccessful Windward Islands run chase.
Scores: Guyana 118 & 217, W/Wards 189 & 99.

Guyana began the final day on 153 with a lead of 82 and lost Jeetendra Sookdeo in the day’s third over at 156-7 when he was caught behind off Cottoy. He added one to his overnight six.

Keon Joseph joined his Captain and the pair batted responsibly on the heavy outfield to defy the bowlers in a valuable 50-run partnership from 43 minutes to see Guyana past the 200 mark.

LaFleur, a compact little left-hander with an astute cricket brain and impressive temperament, stroked Cottoy down the ground for two elegant boundaries to pass his previous highest score of 42 at this level.

He then swept the leg-spinner to backward square-leg to reach his 50 from 159 balls, 162 minutes with five fours.

Sixteen-year-old Joseph showed all-round potential and two consecutive straight boundaries off Cottoy highlighted his 43-ball 21 before he was caught and bowled by the wily Cottoy at 206-8.

Bishun joined La Fleur and took their team to 215-8 when rain stopped play at 11:17hrs with La Fleur on 70 and Bishun on two.

After a 20-minute delay, the Windwards wrapped up the Guyana innings 15 minutes before lunch as Cottoy, who bowled with excellent control, removed Totaram Bishun (3) and La Fleur in quick succession.

The 18-year-old Cottoy, in his second year at this level after making his debut in Guyana in 2006, took his wicket-tally to 16 from two matches this year.

The Windwards, without an outright win since 2000 when they won their only title at this level, reached four without loss by lunch, needing another 143 to win from a minimum of 53 overs in two sessions.

Guyana struck just after lunch when Denis Smith (8) was leg before to Joseph at 15-1 while Kaveem Hodge (12) edged a cut at La Fleur to the keeper with the score on 45-2.

It was soon 59-3 when Rudolph Paul (8), watched by another spattering of spectators, ran himself out in cloudy conditions. Dalton Polius (5) was caught behind off the versatile La Fleur as the Islanders slipped to 72-4.

Bishun removed Cottoy (8) with his first ball at 83-5 while leg-spinner Jonathan Foo struck on the stroke of tea when he got rid of Junior Jervier for a duck to leave the Windwards on 84-6, Wayne Harper unbeaten on 37 and victory still 63 away.

After tea, Harper who hit four fours from 112 balls and 138 minutes in his 38, was brilliantly stumped by Bramble off La Fleur and Delorn Johnson (6) swiped Bishun high to cover as two wickets tumbled with the score on 91.

Vincent Lewis (0) was sent packing by Bishun at 94-9 before Oscar George (8) was run out at 15:30hrs to give Guyana, who beat the Leeward Islands in their first round game, 12 points to take them to 24 from two matches.

Guyana face Barbados from Monday in the third round while the Windwards, who lost to Barbados in their opening match, collected four points and will face Jamaica in their next game, also on Monday.

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