Regional Super50 …Gayle force flattens CCC as Windies reject smashes 147 at Everest

Oct 23, 2011 Sports

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By Sean Devers
Christopher Henry Gayle, the man Coach Otis Gibson says the West Indies team does not miss, missed very few of the 110 balls he faced yesterday at the Everest ground before falling off the penultimate ball of the Jamaica innings when three runs short of becoming only the third batsman to score 150 in a Regional One-day game.
His pugnacious 147, decorated with 11 blistering fours and eight thunderous sixes, some of which interfered with traffic on Carifesta Avenue, helped Jamaica to 259-3 off their allotted 37 overs in their rain affected Regional Super50 Zone ‘B’ clash against the Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC).
Left-arm pacer Krishmar Santokie continued his good form with 2-17, while Leg-spinner Odean Browne had 2-34 as CCC, who registered an upset win against Trinidad and Tobago in the first round, were limited to 125-5 when their 37 overs expired on a slow track and heavy outfield.

The Jamaicans, without a title since 2007, were especially severe on their countryman Jason Dawes (9-0-104-1) who became the first bowler since the competition began in 1976 to concede 100 runs in a match as they registered a 134-run victory and six points to take them to 14.
Gayle became the highest Jamaican scorer in a game at this level when he passed Delroy Morgan’s 133 against Canada at Jarrett Park in Jamaica and after being caught behind off a no-ball from Dawes, was taken off the next ball to long-off as he attempted to join Vincentian Dawnley Joseph (153* vs Bermuda) and Guyana’s Clayton Lambert (151 vs Barbados) as the only batsmen to reach 150 in the competition.
Jamaica, who collected four bonus points from their emphatic win against the Leewards on Thursday, had two more bonus batting points yesterday to advance to the semis with their final preliminary round game against T&T to be play at the Stadium tomorrow.
Play began in glorious sunshine after overnight rain delayed the start and Gayle, dropped on 16 off left-arm spinner Kavesh Kantasingh, began quietly with Kennar Lewis (16) being the early aggressor before he was stumped off Ryan Austin at 31-1.
The 32-year-old Gayle, with 19 ODI tons to his name but just one fifty in 12 Regional 50-over games in Guyana, drove Dawes for a pair off bullet-like straight hits which had the bowler, non-striker and Umpire ducking for cover on its way to the boundary and the large crowd was already anticipating something special from one of the world’s most destructive limited overs Opener.
Gayle, in his 41st match at this level for Jamaica added 49 with West Indies batsman Danza Hyatt (35) before the right-hander, who along with Andrew Russell joined the team after returning from Bangladesh on Thursday, was removed by Kyle Mayers.
Twenty-five year-old Xavier Marshall, who has played seven Tests and 24 ODIs, joined Gayle and together they ravaged the CCC attack although Austin, who has played two Test matches, escaped the punishment to end with 1-34 from nine impressive overs.
Gayle followed up his 122 against the Rest of the Leewards and 119 against Northern Windwards with his third ton at this level and first at any level in Guyana.
He smashed Dawes for two sixes and two fours off the first four balls of the final over before the former West Indies youth pacer had the consolation wicket of Gayle who averages over 40 in Tests, ODIs and First-Class cricket.
The demise of Gayle, who according to the WICB will be considered for West Indies selection if he apologizes to Gibson for comments made about him, resulted in Russell edging a four off the final ball of an over which cost 25 runs.
CCC, without former West Indies Captain Floyd Reifer who was surprisingly allowed to leave the team in a Regional competition to score 173 for Sagicor UWI in the 2011 BCA LIME Division 1 championship in Barbados yesterday, slumped to 10-3 in reply and never recovered.
Santokie removed Romel Currency (6) and Nicholas Alexis (0) while Russell got rid of Miles Bascombe (0). Nekoli Parris (23) fell to Browne at 58-4 and Mayers (13) was removed by the leg-spinner and CCC were 80-5.
However, Ryan Wiggins who hit three fours in his 93-ball unbeaten 51 and Jamal Smith (26) added 55 in an unfinished sixth wicket stand to deny Jamaica any bowling points.
CCC’s final match is against the Leewards tomorrow at Everest and a convincing victory and coupled with a Jamaican win in tomorrow’s other game, will see the Cave Hill UWI Campus based students sneaking into the semi-finals.
The competition continues today with Barbados facing Guyana at Blairmont and Windwards battling HPC at Everest.
Admission to Blairmont today is $500 and the Berbice River Launch service between New Amsterdam and Blairmont will be operational today from 07:30hrs until the end of the game to allow fans from East Berbice to turn out to support the Guyana team.

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