Joseph, Cornwall blast centuries

ST GEORGE’S: Sylvester Joseph and Wilden Cornwall hit hundreds to lead a Leeward Islands batting recovery on the opening day of their eighth round match in the Carib Beer 2005 Cricket Series against Windward Islands yesterday. Joseph hit the top score of 111 and Cornwall supported with 105, as Leewards, choosing to bat, reached 299 for six in their first innings when stumps were drawn. Joseph and Cornwall added 181 for the fifth wicket to revive the Leewards, after they had crashed to 68 for four before lunch on a hard, true Tanteen Oval pitch under sunny skies. By the time Joseph and Cornwall were both dismissed inside the final hour of the day, Leewards had batted themselves into a position of safety and were well placed to continue their surge in the Championship.

Joseph, the Leewards captain, hit 10 fours and three sixes from 152 balls in just under three and three-quarters hours before he was caught at deep mid wicket off off-spin bowler Shane Shillingford. Cornwall struck 13 fours from 187 balls in just over four hours before he was adjudged leg before wicket to become the last of Kenroy Peters’ three wickets for the day in 16 overs that cost 55 runs. Earlier, Peters had made the initial breakthrough for the Windwards, when he had Shane Jeffers caught behind for 14. Junie Mitchum, one of two changes to the Leewards’ 11 and playing his first match of the season, was caught at first slip for 14 and was the other Peters victim and left the visitors 37 for two.

Things got progressively worse for the Leewards when Runako Morton was caught behind off the leg-spin of Windwards captain Rawl Lewis for 12 and long-standing batsman Stuart Williams was also caught at first slip off Deighton Butler for eight. Joseph and Cornwall carried Leewards to lunch on 78 for four, but the two really took control after the interval and were both eyeing their milestones by the tea break that arrived with the visitors 209 for four. Joseph reached his hundred first, but failed to hang around long enough to usher Cornwall through to his landmark that arrived during a sixth-wicket stand of 44 with Ridley Jacobs.