Athanaze’s maiden ton gives Volcanoes 28-run win over Harpy Eagles

Nov 01, 2022 Sports

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CG United Regional Super50…

By Sean Devers in Trinidad

Kaieteur News – On a day blessed with brilliant sunshine and played before empty stands at the Queen’s Park Oval, a maiden century from 23-year-old Dominican Alex Athanaze led the Windwards Volcanoes to a 28-run victory against the Guyana Harpy Eagles as Zone ‘A’ of the CG United Super50 started here yesterday.

Athanaze faced 140 balls and hit 12 fours and four sixes and shared in a 119 stand with St Lucian Johnson Charles who hit two four and five sixes in his 63-ball 64.

Kaveem Hodge contributed 42 with two fours and six, while Shadrack Descarte finished unbeaten 21 and Sunil Ambris (16) added 37 runs in an unfinished stand as the Volcanoes reached 296-4 in 50 overs.

Gudakesh Motie had 2-45 for Harpy Eagles who were bowled out for 268 in 46.4 overs.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul hit six fours in 48 from 47 balls but only Tevin Imlach with 36 from 46 balls with two fours and a six, 31 not out from Motie who added 48 from 40 balls for the last wicket with Veerasammy (28), Kevin Sinclair (33) and Sherfane Rutherford (28) reached 25.

Descarte had 3-41 while Ryan John and Kenneth Dember captured two wickets for the winners.

Guyana invited Windwards to bat on a slow track and an outfield with sandy patches on either side of the pitch just outside the 30-yard circle.

Charles, one of two players who returned from the T20 World Cup for the Windwards, hit Shepherd for six over mid-wicket before punching him gloriously to the point boundary in an over that cost 12.

Sinclair started with two ‘tight’ overs before Charles sliced him to backward point boundary while Athanaze cut Permaul for two boundaries.

The pair grew in confidence as their innings progressed and the50 came up in 10.4 overs when Charles deposited Motie for six.

Charles celebrated the land mark with a mighty six over mid-wicket off Sinclair before Charles reached his 50 from 48 balls.

Athanaze clipped Clinton Pestano for four as he played the supporting role to Charles, who clobbered Motie for six.

Athanaze whipped Pestano off his pads for four to post the 100 in 19.5 overs before reaching his 50from 73 balls.

After Charles lofted Motie to long-on in the 23^rd over, Athanaze changed gear and reversed swept Sinclair for four before slug-sweeping him for six.

Hodge got going with a cut for four and the partnership was being built at a rapid rate.

But with Athanaze on 87 he lofted Pestano high over mid-off where Shimron Hetmyer made brilliant ground, running back, to drop what would have been stupendous catch.

The Dominican galloped to his ton from 118 balls with consecutive boundaries off Pestano while Hodge batted positively before holing out to Hetymer on the deep mid-wicket boundary as Motie struck at 246-2 in the 43^rd over.

Athanaze demise was followed by two quick wickets in the space of seven runs. Hodge was caught and bowled by Permaul, while the potentially dangerous Andrew Fletcher (8) missed a swipe and was bowled by Pestano to leave his team on 257-4 in the 44^th over.

Ambris and Descarte added 25 runs in the last 27 balls as Guyana limited the scoring under 300 from what looked like a 340 total when Athanaze and Hodge were batting.

Guyana raced to 44 in the sixth over with Chanderpaul outscoring the usually aggressive Anthony Bramble who was LBW to John for 18 with three fours.

Hetmyer (12) got going with couple imperious boundaries but after

facing three dots balls from off-spinner Dember, he charged the bowler and his uppish shot was taken at short mid-wicket to leave Guyana on 66-2 in 10.5 overs.

Chanderpaul played with a positive mind-set and was quick to dispatch the loose deliveries while his Skipper hit Descarte back over his head for six.

Chanderpaul, two short of his third fifty at this level was magnificently taken by John, diving to his left at backward point with the score on 80-3.

Johnson and Imlach added 37 for the fourth wicket before Johnson was LBW to Hodge at 117-4. Rutherford got off the mark with six and followed it up with another.

Imlach played some delightful shots and looked strong on his legs but just the Harpy Eagles were clawing their way back into the contest, the 48-run stand was broken by John who removed Imlach at 165-5.

Rutherford, who effortlessly pushed pacer Justin Greaves for six and pulled Dember for four, was bowled by Dember at 181-6 in 34.4 overs.

Shepherd (1) LBW at 182-7 and Pestano (5) bowled as Dember struck twice, while Sinclair hit two sixes and a couple of fours in his innings before he fell to Preston Mcsween at 200-9.

Permaul and Motie featured in fighting last wicket partnership but it was too little too late.

Harpy Eagles will play defending Champions T&T Red Force tomorrow at the Brian Lara Academy in a Day/Night encounter which starts at 2pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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