Griffith, Sookdeo, Joseph & Daniels shine as Guyana hammer Windwards

Aug 02, 2009 Sports

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By Sean Devers in
Jamaica In association
with Digicel, TCL,
Western Union, Pepsi,
Smalta,Demerara Power
Company & Michelle
Playter’s Modeling Agency

A 109-run opening stand between Trevon Griffith and Jeetendra Sookdeo, a fiery burst from Keon Joseph and steady bowling from Seon Daniels helped Guyana to an emphatic  158-run win against the Windward Islands at the Police ground in their 2nd round TCL Group Regional Under-19 One-Day cricket match yesterday.
The in-form Griffith hit 7 fours and a six in a 58-ball 59 while Sookdeo made 50 from 90 balls with 6 fours as Guyana fell for 232 off 49.5 overs.
The Windwards were then dismissed for 74 in 25.3 overs as Joseph (4-21) bowled with genuine pace and hostility for 8 consecutive overs with the new ball and Daniels supported with 3-25 from 10 overs.
Guyana won the toss in sultry conditions and opted to bat on a good track and fast outfield and the new opening pair of Griffith and Sookdeo provided a solid start with sensible stroke-play and positive running between the wickets.
Both left-handers picked the balls to hit and the 50 came up in the 11th over before Griffith, who again looked in spanking form, lofted spinner Audy Alexander for the game’s first six in the 13th over.
Griffith, with over 400 runs in the 3-day competition, audaciously drove off-spinner Dalton Polius down the ground for another boundary to the delight of the handful of spectators present and soon reached his fifty from 45 balls with 7 fours and a six.
Sookdeo used his feet to clip Alexander to the long-on boundary as the Guyanese openers batted with plenty of confidence on the concrete-like surface.
Guyana reached 100 in 20 overs before Griffith was caught and bowled Kaveem Hodge in the 23rd over at 109-1.
Jonathon Foo joined Sookdeo and began with all guns blazing; smashing Alexander and Hodge for mighty sixes in consecutive overs before Sookdeo got to his half-century from 86 balls with 6 fours.
Guyana took the batting power-play from the 28th over with the score on 139-1 and Sookdeo was run at 141-2 attempting an impossible single. Alex Amsterdam (4) was removed by Hodge 4 runs later as 2 wickets fell in the 29th over.
The 30th over from Alexander to Foo was a maiden before Foo, who hit Alexander for 2 fours in his next, lofted the left-arm spinner to long-on to leave Guyana on 156-4 in the 32nd over as 3 wickets fell for 15 runs.
Foo’s 33 came from 37 balls and was decorated with 3 fours and 2 sixes. The five batting power-play overs produced 18 runs and 3 wickets.
Seon Hetmyer was dropped on 4 by the bowler at 163 in the 35th over and Alkins (2) inexplicably left his crease thinking the ball was dead.
He was rightfully given run out by first-class Umpire Maurice Chung as the Windwards applied the pressure.
Skipper Anthony Bramble (8) then lofted Alexander to long-on at 177-7 with 67 balls left in the innings as the South Americans wasted the good job of their openers.
Andre Stoll (1) was stumped off pacer John Fabien at 183-7 in the 40th over while 200 came up in the 45th over with a flicked boundary from Hetmyer. Joseph (3) fell to Fabien at 193-8 but Adams (9) offered good support in a 27-run 9th wicket stand with Hetmyer before he was LBW to Hodge at 220-9.  Daniels (2) was run out in the last over leaving Hetmyer unbeaten on 37 from 52 balls with 4 fours.
Fabien (2-40), Hodge (2-40) and Alexander (2-46) were the best bowlers for the Windwards.
The lively Joseph and Stoll struck in successive overs to leave the Islanders on 9-2 in the 4th over.
Dennis Smith (4) miscued a hook to mid-on while a run later Atticus Browne (4) edged Stoll to the Keeper as the Windwards were pushed on the ropes early.
It was soon 18-3 when Joseph, the fastest bowler in the tournament, had Hubert Joseph (2) played on in the 7th over.
Polius was struck on his helmet by a quick bumper from Joseph forcing him to retire on 2 at 22-3 while Daniels bowled with good control at the other end.  Sunil Ambris and Hodge resisted before Ambris (4) was bowled by Joseph at 38-4 and Paul (0) was run out without addition to the score.
Casmir Benjamin was trapped LBW to Daniels first ball as 3 wickets tumbled for no run to leave the Windwards on 38-6.
The 17-year-old Joseph soon had Hodge (21) caught hooking as the Windwards slumped to 42-7.
Polius, the leading off-spinner in the 3-day competition, was taken to the Hospital suffering from a mild concussion but returned to bat when Bramble held a good catch off Daniels to remove George (3) at 55-8 in the 20th over.  Daniels sent back Alexander (9) to another Keeper’s catch at 62-9 before Polius dumped spinner Amsterdam for six in his unbeaten 17.
Left-arm spinner Adams ended the match by removing Fabien and Coach Hubern Evans said he was again pleased with the work of his bowlers and especially the good job done by the openers.
He was however again concerned with the batting order and shot selection of the middle order batsmen.
Guyana play Barbados in their next match today and hunt another win to keep their title hopes alive.

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