Latest update January 6th, 2025 4:00 AM
WICB PCL Cricket…Fifties from Bonner, Cruickshank lead Hurricanes’ recovery
-Motie takes 6-20 in third day action
By Sean Devers
If you feed your faith your doubt will starve to death and yesterday at Providence Jamaican Nkrumah Bonner and Antiguan Orlando Peters posted an unfinished 80-run partnership on the penultimate day of the second round of the WICB PCL four-day match between Guyana Jaguars and Windwards Hurricanes to keep hopes alive of the visitors holding on for an improbable draw today.
Daron Cruickshank, who made 57, pushes forward to Gudakesh Motie who bagged 6-20 at Providence yesterday.
The 28-year-old Bonner is unbeaten on 58 after batting for 121 balls, 123 minutes with nine fours and a six, while Peters’ undefeated 25 has spanned 85 balls, 104 minutes with one four as the Hurricanes, asked to follow-on after being dismantled for 85, in reply to the 419-9 declared by the Jaguars, reached a respectable 215-3 by the close yesterday with their side still 119 runs away from making the home team bat again.
Hurricanes resumed on 48-4 and were befuddled by former West Indies U-19 left-arm spinner 20-year-old Gudakesh Motie, who added four wickets to his two from Saturday, to grab 6-20 from 13.2 overs as Windwards’ Franchise catapulted to their ninth lowest total in Regional First-class cricket.
The Leewards, who were bowled out for 39 in Barbados in 2012- the lowest total Regional First-Class total- fell 334 runs short of the Jaguars’ total as only Sherwin Peters (28), Steve Liburd (23) and Guyanese born Jaison Peters (11) reached double figures.
Motie, who got support from pacers Ronsford Beaten and Chris Barnwell (2 Wkts each), was the architect of destruction.
When play resumed yesterday Beaton had Liburd caught behind at 57-3 and bowled Peters, who inexplicably played no shot at one that cut back to leave the dormant Hurricanes on 73-6 in sultry conditions on a flat track.
Motie then got rid of the last four batsmen in the space of 15 runs and the Jaguars enforced the follow-on and by Lunch the Hurricanes had reached 33-0.
The Hurricanes, who lost by eight wickets in their last match against the Jaguars in Antigua earlier this year, seemed to be heading for another three-day defeat.
But responsible batting which saw all five of their top order batsmen getting ‘starts’ and useful partnerships being built, resulted in the game going into today’s final day.
Watched by a spattering of spectators, Sherwin Peters and Shane Jeffers added 50 for the first wicket in 53 minutes before the left-handed Jeffers, who batted positively but sensibly for his 31, was bowled by Beaton after hitting five fours and a six from 46 balls.
Sherwin Peters, who played without taking any risks, added 66 with Daron Cruickshank before the right-handed Peters from St Marteen, was LBW to the impressive Beaton, who was born in the Leeward Island of Montserrat but grew up on the Essequibo Coast in Guyana.
Peter’s demise left his team on 116-2 after he had batted for 109 balls, 149 minutes and reached the ropes four times.
Trinidadian Daron Cruickshank and Bonner were worth the money spent on them as the Leewards ‘overseas picks’ as they played an array of audacious shots with wonderful shot selection and put away almost every bad ball while playing with sound technique against the good ones.
The 29-year-old Cruickshank reached his maiden First-Class fifty but like the others before him, wasted a good start when he was trapped LBW to Motie for 57 from 111 minutes, 83 balls decorated with nine fours at 135-3 just after Tea, which was taken at 127-2.
That was to be Guyana’s last taste of success as the 28-year-old Bonner and 27-year-old Orlando Peters remained together by the close of a day in which the Hurricanes second innings fight back would have been unexpected after their first innings display and their defeat in three day to T&T’s Red Force last week in Trinidad.
While it is highly unlikely that the Hurricanes will avoid losing today they would want to prove tough opposition by taking the contest day as deep into the day as possible as they hope to avoid an innings defeat.
With Bonner and Orlando Peters, both with a First-Class century to their names, they would have faith in their ability to get to three-figure scores on South American soil and put doubts in minds of local players of finishing off the game before Lunch.
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