Joseph 4-wkt haul gives Leewards upper hand against Jamaica

Jul 28, 2014 Sports

By Zaheer Mohamed
A fine spell of fast bowling by Alzarri Joseph handed Leeward Islands the upper hand against Jamaica in their second round game of the Regional U-19 3-Day tournament which continued yesterday at the Demerara Cricket Club.

Alzarri Joseph

Joseph finished with 4-38 from seven overs as Jamaica closed the second day on 97-8 after 31 overs to take a lead of 91, batting a second time.
In response to Jamaica first innings total of 117, Leewards resumed on 5-0 and were bowled out for 123 in 53.4 overs after lunch. Opener Dion West (02) failed to add to his overnight score and was caught at the wicket off Odean Smith in the first over of the day with the score on five.
Ross Powell and Kacey Carty added 56 for the second wicket to lay the foundation for a sizeable total. Powell was in an attacking mode as he drove Smith for consecutive fours and took boundaries off Ramaal Lewis and Ryon Burnette.
Carty started watchfully and gradually grew in confidence hitting Lewis for consecutive boundaries, but Lewis gave his team the breakthrough when he had Powell well taken at silly mid off for 22.
Burnette then uprooted the stumps of Shaquille Martina (00) to leave the score at 58-3. Carty shared in a fourth wicket stand of 20 with Saeed Williams (08), the son of former West Indies opener Stuart Williams who was caught attempting to clear the ropes.
Carty after seemingly well set for a half century hold-out to Lewis at long on for 40 (6×4) off 88 balls with the score at 78-5. Jaleel Clarke played some lovely shots, reaching the boundary on three occasions and cleared it once before he was needlessly run out for 22.
Only skipper Jeremiah Louis of the remaining batsmen offered any resistance with an unbeaten 17; Abijai Mansingh captured 2-5 from 3.4 overs, Lewis 2-32 off 25 and Smith 2-34 from 13.

Kacey Carty gathers runs on the off side.

Trailing by six, the Jamaicans were pegged by Joseph who extracted decent pace and bounce from a two paced track. He bowled Ramaal Lewis (00) who opened the batting in place of the injured Leroy Lugg and Ramone Francis in the first over with the score on two. Mc Catty and Mark Parchment attempted to repair the damage, but Joseph trapped the latter LBW for eight after they had added 22.
It soon became 28-4 when Mc Catty who drove Louis down the ground for a boundary was bowled by the said bowler for 12. Joseph then induced R Morris (05) to nick one to wicket keeper Clarke before Mansingh and Walters added 26 for the sixth wicket.
Mansingh looked stood firm as he stir Joseph to third man and flicked the pacer over square leg but was leg before to Martina for 28 after he had done the hard work. Walters (15) and Smith (00) were the other wickets to fall before time was called.
Burnette is not out on 15 and with him is Lugg who is yet to score. Martina with 2-5 offered support to Joseph; Louis and Archibald have one each. Today is the final day.