Arthurton 128 in vain for Clico Preysal

FORMER LEEWARD Islands and West Indies allrounder Keith Arthurton made a stroke-filled 128 yesterday but it was not enough to guarantee his club CLICO Preysal first innings points against defending champs Ceramic Merry Boys as second round action of the Carib National League Division One continued.

Three matches ended in draws yesterday while the Tile It Central Sports/Alescon Comet encounter — with Central Sports reeling on 107/6 in response to Comet 197 on Saturday — will resume on March 22. Preysal, resuming from their precarious overnight score of 35 runs for five wickets in pursuit of 261 at their home ground — Inshan Ali Park — rallied to 221 all out midway into the second session. The left-handed Arthurton, who was unbeaten on 18, received vital support from Hollister Pajotte who made 41. The Diego Martin-based squad were inspired by the pace of Dale Douglas, who grabbed three wickets for 43, and ex-Barbadian and Windies youth player Ryan Best 3/64.

At their second turn at the crease, Merry Boys were 171/5 when the match was called off as a draw with national youth team player Richard Kelly slamming 88, ex-Trinidad and Tobago batsmen Denis Rampersad adding 29 and captain Keno Mason an unbeaten 28. Another ex-TT representative, Eugene Antoine, followed up his first innings haul of 6/53 with 2/29 while Kwesi Roy took 2/70. Merry Boys walked away with 16 points with Preysal claiming nine. Queen’s Park, with contributions of 59 from Deepak Kumar, 55 from Earnil Ryan, 52 from Shakeer Ali, 46 from Jerome Beepath and 40 from Ricardo Paty, captured first innings points away to Police at the St James Barracks. The Parkites, resuming on 65/2, were dismissed for 358 in response to the lawmen’s 320 with Imtiaz Rojan snaring 4/118, Saeed Mohammed 4/100 and Anstey Alleyne 2/31.

Ali, with his left-arm orthodox spinners, returned figures of 4/16 but Police were 115/4 at the close of play with first innings centurion Damian Hanooman topscoring with 35 and Ryan Jones 34 not out. Queen’s Park copped 18 points and Police 10 at the end of the two-day fixture. And the FCB Clarke Road spinners stole the show at Syne Village as the Penal-based squad took 16 points for their first innings advantage over neighbours PowerGen Sports, who captured 10 points. Tottering on 66/5 in response to Clarke Road’s 215, PowerGen were skittled out for 155 with an undefeated 41 from Rajkumar Mahadeo and 22 from Afzal Dean. But the PowerGen batsmen had no answer to the off-spin trio of Rishi Bachan 4/25, Guyanese Damodar Dasrat 3/21 and ex-national player Mukesh Persad 2/39. Clarke Road were 245/8 when stumps were drawn with Dasrat notching 83 and Sean Siloch 75, while West Indies “B” team off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth grabbed 3/82 and the evergreen David Williams 2/48.