Windwards smash Canada

CLARENDON: The Windward Islands knocked out Canada cold in their opening match of the Red Stripe Bowl at the Jamalco Sports Club Ground yesterday. With only two batsmen getting into double figures, Canada fell in a heap for 69 from 34.5 overs in reply to the Windwards’ 196 for six from 50 overs, to lose by 127 runs. The Windwards posted what should have been a gettable total but in the end it was well beyond the North Americans, whose last seven wickets fell for a paltry 13 runs. In reply to the Windwards total, Canada got off to a disastrous start. By the fifth over, they had 13 runs and the first three batsman were already gone. Then wicketkeeper Ashish Bagai and Sunil Dhaniram staged a gallant but slow recovery taking the score up to 56 by the 24th over.

When Dhaniram fell for 18, the next six wickets crumbled for only another 13 runs. Along with Dhaniram, top scorer Bagai (24) was the only other batsman to get into double figures. Medium pacer Darren Sammy and leg-spinner Olanzo Jackson cleaned out the middle order taking three wickets each for 16 and 22 runs respectively. Fernix Thomas, Cameron Cuffy, and Shane Shillingford each got a wicket. Having won the toss and inserted the opposition, Canada started impressively, keeping a hush on the Windwards batsmen until the final overs. Austin Codrington and Ashish Patel bowling accurately, beat the bat of West Indies opener Devon Smith and Romel Currency consistently, forcing the batsmen into playing hasty, forcing shots. One such head-high swipe by Smith caused his stumps to be shattered by Patel when the score had struggled to 35 from 14 overs. Though they bowled tightly up until the final overs, the Canadians fielded poorly, dropping four catches and giving up a stumping chance.

Like Smith, Currency was gifted two chances, which he utilised well to score 42 from 85 balls inclusive of three fours. Man-of-the-match, Rawl Lewis, batting at number six, cashed in for four fours and two sixes for a top score of 59 from just 56 balls.The 29-year-old Grenadian belted 42 from the last 17 balls of the innings with the other not out batsman Fernix Thomas (11) as the Canadian captain Ishwar Maraj lost the plot towards the end bringing back his pacers. Codrington utilised the moisture in the pitch to bowl his first six overs for only 16 runs, but returned to bowl his last four for a hefty 36 runs. The Canadian spinners thrust their team into a highly commendable position by the end of the 40th over when the Windward Islanders had only gotten to 117 for five. So restrictive was the spin that between the 30th and 40th overs, just 22 runs were scored for the loss of three wickets with left arm spinner Sunil Dhaniram taking three for 15 from his ten overs. Today, Jamaica play their first match against the Leewards XI at the Kensington ground in Kingston.