‘Boys’ make merry in Diego

Barbadian pacer Ryan Best needed two deliveries to end the Munroe Road’s innings at 122 yesterday, finishing with three wickets for 43 runs.

Then the visitors’ attack was plundered to all parts of the ground as MerryBoys rattled up a massive 428 for nine wickets before declaring.

Guyanese left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell, who took five for 31 on Friday, starred with the bat for MerryBoys with an unbeaten 101 while Trinidad and Tobago opener Lendl Simmons slammed 79. Samuel Felix also hit 71, West Indies “A” team all-rounder Richard Kelly made 69 and Aneil Kanhai slammed 51.

Kwesi Maltay returned figures of four for 52 while Kapil Harry had three for 108 for Munroe Road, who later closed play on 38 without loss.

League leaders PowerGen Sports hold the advantage against second-placed FCB Clarke Road at Wilson Road, Penal, with Clarke Road requiring 140, with five wickets in hand, to claim first innings points. From their overnight 148 for three, PowerGen were bowled out for 307 with overnight batsmen Denzil James and Sherwin Ganga leading the way. James smashed 112 and national player Ganga fell two short of a well deserved century. Ex-national off-spinner Mukesh Persad captured three scalps and Jeewan Ramroop got two for Clarke Road. In reply, Clarke Road closed on 160 for five with top national youth team batsman Adrian Bharath hitting 53 while his TT teammate, left-arm spinner Rishi Bachan, claimed two wickets. Preysal seized full control of their fixture against W Connection Wanderers at the Inshan Ali Park, Preysal, as the visitors needed 87 more runs, with seven wickets standing, to avoid an innings defeat.

National off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth wasted no time in dismissing the Wanderers’ last batsman, at their overnight tally of 118, ending with six for 43. In reply, Preysal notched 302 with captain Shazam Babwah falling two short of a century while former Barbados and West Indies all-rounder Ryan Hurley hit 72. Vinord Woolcock copped five for 93 for Wanderers.

Jaggernauth was again in the thick of things, taking two for 18 as Wanderers were 95 for three, with WI Under-19 batsman William Perkins scoring 55.

Alescon Comet claimed first innings points in their battle against Queen’s Park at Pierre Road, Charlieville.

The Parkites, resuming at 170 for eight, were dismissed for 216 with ex-national off-spinner Rodney Sooklal claiming six wickets. Led by 67 from Guyanese Travis Dowlin, 37 from Manoj Sirju and 31 from ex-Windies opener Suruj Ragoonath, the Comet squad responded with 267, despite a five-wicket haul from WI Under-19 off-spinner Sunil Narine and four from ex-WI all-rounder Ricardo Powell.

Queen’s Park closed the day on 83 for three with Darren Bravo, younger brother of Test allrounder Dwayne Bravo, unbeaten on 34. Today’s play begins at 10 am.