West Indies 4-day C/Ships… Singh falls in the 90s, Paul impress with bat & ball

Feb 12, 2022 Sports

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Harpy Eagles sent blood despite Volcanoes fight back

Kaieteur News – On a day blessed with glorious sunshine at Queen’s Park Oval, a 146 sixth wicket stand between diminutive left-hander Vishaul Singh and all-rounder Keemo Paul highlighted day three of the West Indies four-day First-Class game yesterday in Trinidad.

Guyana Harpy Eagles were dismissed for 327 in reply to the 339 made by the Windwards Volcanoes with Singh, who made 93 from 221 balls decorated with nine boundaries, while Paul’s third fifty of 73 came from 133 balls laced with six fours and a six.
Kenneth Dember (4-36), Sherman Lewis (4-59), Preston Mcsween (2-78) were the main wicket-takers for theIslanders who were 157-7 in their second innings, leading by 169 runs. Alex Athanaze top scored with 58 while Larry Edwards (29 no) and Ryan John (9 no) took their team to stumps.
Paul and Clinton Pestano took two wickets each.
When the Volcanoes began their second innings, with a slim 12-run lead, and started in horrendous fashion when the 40-year-old Devon Smith was bowled by his lively unrelated namesake Nail Smith for a duck at 6-1.
West Indies U-19 batsman Grenadian Teddy Bishop making his debut as a concussion sub for Kimani Melius, who was hit on his helmet on the first day, joined Kavem Hodge before he was caught at fourth slip off Paul for 15 at 20-2.
Hodge (15) was LBW to Paul and Windwards were 48-3 as Guyana fought back before Athanaze and Keron Cottoy took the Windwards to tea at 62-3 with Athanaze on 25 and Cottoy on five.
After the break, with the score on 71-4, Cottoy (15) pulled a short ball from Pestano straight to Paul at short mid-wicket.
Wicket-Keeper Dennis Smith (4) was soon bowled by Pestano and at 77-5 and with a lead of just 89, the South Americans were in the ascendency.
The left-handed Athanaze slapped Permaul past extra cover for four before following it up with majestic back punch for another boundary off successive balls.
The 23-year-old Dominican pulled Pestano for a scorching boundary while consecutive fours from John brought up the 100 for the Windwards.
John was dropped on eight off Permaul while Athanaze clobbered him down the ground for four before on driving Motie to long-on to reach his second fifty of the match.
Permaul’s quicker ball pushed John on the back foot to trap him LBW for 11 at 112-6 before Athanaze drilled Permaul to short mid-wicket for 58 at 125-7.
Edward deposited Gudakesh Motie for six, hit Permaul for four before cover driving Paul for back-to-back boundaries and along with Dember, who played the supporting role and the partnership was beginning to be a cause for concern for Guyana.

Earlier, Guyana resumed on 189-5 with Singh on 40 and Paul on 20 and the 33-year-old Vishaul Singh, who played three Tests but none since May 2017, tucked left-arm spinner Larry Edwards for a single to reached his 19th fifty from 106 balls.
Both batsmen looked well composed and played some lovely shots on the fast outfield.
The 23-year-old Paul, who has played three Tests and 22 First-Class matches, worked a short ball from Edwards for one to square leg to post his third half-century at this level from 108 balls and at the water break the score was 248-5 with the partnership on 107.
Paul pulled Mcsween for a pugnacious boundary to bring up the 250 and Paul, batting confidently, seemed well poised for his second First-Class century while a reverse sweep carried Singh into the 80s.
While Paul played the ‘bigger shots’, Singh used his feet nicely to the spinners as the partnership grew.
Singh, who was dropped at mid-wicket off Edwards, danced down the track to the left-arm spinner and smashed him over mid-wicket for four.
Singh and Paul seemed set to bat out the first session after joining forces at 141-5 on Thursday afternoon but Paul was trapped LBW on the back foot to a quicker ball for 73 off Dember at 287-6 just before Lunch.
At Lunch Guyana were 290-6 with Singh on 93 and Pestano on two as 109 runs were scored in the two-and-a-half-hour session.
Singh, in his 74th First-Class match since making his debut in 2009, was seven away from his ninth hundred when he was stumped off the first ball after Lunch as Dember struck again.
This was the third time in Singh’s last five innings that he has been dismissed in the 90s.
Permaul joined Pestano who attacked the spinners but when on 15 and Guyana on 317, he charged Dember and was taken at wide long-on.
Permaul was caught behind off Lewis for 15 at 318-9, while Motie (8) went after Lewis and clobbered him for consecutive boundaries before Smith (1) was caught and bowled by Dember with Guyana 12 short of Volcanoes’ score.
Today is the fourth and final day. (Sean Devers)

 

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