Leewards opt for batting practice

TRINIDAD and Tobago cricketers spent all day in the field yesterday against the  Leeward Islands when their rain-affected Carib Beer Cricket Series regional third round match, ended in  a “no result” yesterday at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain. The visitors opted for batting practice on the final day of the fourt-day encounter after three full days of play were abandoned because of rain and soggy outfield conditions. But TT skipper Daren Ganga had earlier sought to create some excitement and a chance for either team to strive for first innings points. He disclosed that Leewards’ captain Sylvester Joseph and himself discussed and agreed to a sporting declaration during the day. But according to the Ganga “Sylvester (Joseph) apparently reneged on the agreement because they batted through to the end.

“We agreed to play for first innings points because three days were already lost. And the no result will give each team four points. Losing on first innings meant that one team would have lost just one point. I felt that there was an opportunity for either team to get six points, depending on who would have taken the first innings lead,” Ganga said. Leewards finished with 196 for the loss of five wickets after 311 minutes of batting and 12 of the mandatory 15 overs remaining. Joseph (25) was at the crease with Ridley Jacobs (4) and were the not out batsmen who shook the hands of umpires Clyde Duncan (Guyana) and Khemraj Barrasingha (TT) and the TT players when play halted at 5.08 pm.

Leewards’ third opening pair for the season, Tonito Willet partnering Shane Jeffers, batted without any alarms against TT’s medium pace attack of Richard Kelly and Kyron Lynch who shared the new ball but were guilty of bowling far too short and unreliable line and length on the easy-paced Oval track. They posted 56 for the first wicket before the left-handed Jeffers was outfoxed by offspinner Amit Jaggernauth and caught at first slip for 27. He batted for 95 minutes and faced 99 balls. Willet, who opened in place of Sylvester Joseph, found a useful partner in Runako Morton who play positively but perished for 41 after he attempted to hit Mohammed to the long on boundary. Lendl Simmons accepted a simple skied catch at mid-on.

Morton slammed three fours off 65 balls and together with Willet added 82 runs for the second wicket partnership before he departed on the stroke of the tea interval. At that stage, Leewards were coasting at 144 for two off 57 overs with Willet  undefeated on 75. He did not add anymore as he was deceived and bowled by a beauty from Jaggernauth who also added Wilden Cornwall to his season’s tally, bowled for two runs. Sherwin Ganga claimed the prized-wicket of the most prolific regional First Class scorer and centurion Stuart Williams, bowled for 17. Jaggernauth finished with three wickets for 53 from 25 overs while Mohammed (1 for 53) and Ganga (1 for 26) shared the others.