CRANDON SIBLINGS TAKE 1ST DAY HONOURS

Jan 30, 2010 Sports

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CCC struggling at 24-3 replying to Guyana’s 271

By Sean Devers in Barbados In association with Carib
Beer, Leisure Inn & Car Rental & Caribbean Airlines

West Indies ODI player Royston Crandon fell 6 short of his century while his elder brother Esuan was left stranded 2 short of his maiden First-Class fifty as Guyana ended the first day of their 4-day Regional First-Class cricket match against the Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) yesterday here at the 3Ws Oval holding the advantage.
The 26-year-old Crandon, who played his solitary ODI in South Africa last year, faced 151 balls, batted for 264 minutes and his 94 was decorated with 6 fours and 4 sixes as Guyana recovered from 39-3 to reach 271 all out in the final session.
Esuan, who passed his previous highest First Class score of 42 not out, finished unbeaten on 48 with 2 fours from 85 balls and 137 minutes as impetuous shot selection again caused problems for the Guyanese top order on a good track with some bounce and turn for the bowlers.
Pacers Kevin McLean (3-61) and Kishmar Catlin (3-47) along with off-spinner Ryan Austin (3-76) did the damage with the ball for the Bajan dominated CCC team which struggled to 24-3 in reply by the close.
Test opener Omar Phillip was caught behind off Esuan Crandon for a duck before his team had scored as the Floyd Reifer led CCC began their reply in terrible fashion.
Needing to bat 12 overs on the opening day, CCC, with 8 Bajans in their team, also lost Nekoli Parris (2) and night watchman Austin (0) as they collapsed to 16-3.
Parris edged new ball bowler Brandon Bess to wicketkeeper Derwin Christian at 13-2 before Austin was bowled by left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul 3 runs later. Kyle Corbin (12) and Kjorn Ottley (5), dropped at slip before he had scored off leg-spinner Davindra Bishoo, remained undefeated leaving the students another 247 runs for first innings points with 7 wickets in hand.
Earlier, asked to bat in good conditions on a hard straw colored track and lush green and immaculately manicured outfield, Guyana, who left out Trevor Benn and Gajanand Singh from their starting eleven, were in early trouble.

Skipper Sewnarine Chattergoon and Rajendra Chandrika carried the score to 30 before Guyana lost 3 wickets for 19 runs to slip to 49-3 mid-way through the opening session. Chandrika got off the mark with a fluent extra cover drive for four and was dominating the partnership with his captain when he played a rash drive at McLean and was taken at cover point.
His 23 lasted 27 balls and 61 minutes and his demise was again aided by an apparent lapse in concentration.
Chris Barnwell made an inauspicious return to the team and lasted just 2 balls before he skied Catlin to deep point after a pull of his first ball went just out of the reach of the diving keeper for a boundary to fine-leg.
Chattergoon, who batted for an hour and faced 24 balls for his 12, then drove Catlin to mid-on as CCC, who beat Guyana by 96 runs when the teams last met here at this level last year, took the ascendancy in sweltering heat.
Royston Crandon joined Assad Fudadin and together took their team to lunch at 97-3 with both batsmen on 27.
After the interval, Fudadin who again looked set before failing to convert a solid start into a big score, was taken at point as Austin broke the 68-run 3rd wicket partnership to leave Guyana on 107-4. Fudadin’s 32 took 70 balls, 130 minutes and included 4 fours.
Vishaul Singh, back into the side ahead of his unrelated namesake Gajanand Singh, never looked comfortable and after taking 21 minutes and 22 balls for his single run, offered a tame return catch to Austin as Guyana slumped to 118-5.
With Austin in particular getting bounce and turn from the first day pitch, the younger Crandon and Derwin Christian repaired the damage with positive batting on the large ground. Crandon smashed Trinidadian Kavesh Kantasingh back over his head for six and later, when the left-arm spinner switched ends, Crandon lofted him for a six and a four to reach his 5th half-century at this level from 82 balls, 113 minutes with 5 fours and 2 sixes.
He celebrated with a massive six over long-on off the next ball to bring the small crowd, which comprised Guyana’s Honorary Consul to Barbados Norman Faria and mostly UWI students, to life.
Crandon pulled Austin for six and Christian swept him for four before Catlin was re-introduced and had Christian caught at slip; driving at a ball which left him.
Christian, who had pulled the pacer disdainfully over square leg for six off the ball before his dismissal, batted for 75 minutes, 38 balls and struck 3 fours and a six in his cameo 21 before his departure, 10 minutes before Tea, left Guyana on 193-6 and ended the 75-run 6th wicket stand. Esuan Crandon joined his sibling and together they saw Guyana, without their 4 present Test batsmen due to injury and West Indies duties, to Tea at 199-6.
Royston was unbeaten 19 short of his 2nd ton at this level while his brother was not out on one.
After the break, Royston, in his 14th first-class match, progressed to 94 with confident stroke play before he was spectacularly caught by McLean at mid-on as Austin, who was born in Trinidad but grew up in Barbados, struck at 216-7. McLean then struck twice in 3 balls when Permaul (8) and Bishoo (0) both edged catches to Floyd Reifer at slip to leave Guyana on 239-9.
Esuan Crandon, dropped on 40 off Austin, attacked the bowlers and got support from Bess (6) who kept his company for 56 minutes as the Guyana last wicket pair put together 32 runs before Bess was run out.
Coach Ravindra Seeram, the former Guyana First-Class batsman, said he was again disappointed with the mental approach of his top order batsmen and was high in praise for the work of the Crandon brothers with the bat. Seeram also said he is looking for first innings points today after the good late afternoon job by his bowlers yesterday.

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