Daren Ganga ‘Man-of-the-Match’

SALEM: Opener Shane Jeffers compiled a patient but responsible century to help the Leeward Islands force a draw against Trinidad and Tobago yesterday on the fourth and final day of their Carib Beer Series regional cricket match at the Salem Park. When the game ended, the Leewards were 377 for five, a lead of 170. Jeffers’ 128, which came in 368 minutes, off 279 balls and included 18 fours and four sixes, was the mainstay of the Leewards’ second innings after they had resumed on 64 for one, still 143 runs adrift of making Trinidad bat again. The left-hander shared in three important partnerships; the largest being 114 for the fifth wicket with middle-order batsman Wilden Cornwall, who made a cultured 85 from 119 balls in 154 minutes with 10 fours, after the Leewards were shakily placed at one stage on 115 for three.

That is when they lost first innings century-maker, Runako Morton for 27 and captain Sylvester Joseph (4), both to off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth within the space of 16 runs. After Jeffers and Morton, who had resumed on 26 and 16 respectively, had added 60 for the second wicket, Morton was caught at silly mid-on while Joseph holed out on the long-on fence. Stuart Williams, who announced his arrival with two spanking square-drives off medium-pacer Rayad Emrit before surviving a confident leg-before-wicket appeal in the same over, raced to 41 while Jeffers progressed to 77 as the Leewards took lunch on 173 for seven. But Williams perished in the second over after the interval when he edged left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed to the wicketkeeper as he added two more runs to his tally.

Cornwall continued from where Williams left off and he partnered Jeffers to his second First-Class hundred which came up in 345 minutes, off 257 balls and contained 16 fours and a six. Jeffers soon went on the offensive as he cracked Jaggernauth for two sixes over long-on and long-off and a four in one over before he skied a return catch to off-spinner Ricardo Powell to depart at 291 for five. Cornwall, who was on 64 and Jacobs on 21, took the Leewards to tea on 321 for four before Cornwall was caught on the long-off fence to give Jaggernauth his fourth wicket which cost him 144 runs overall. Jacobs was unbeaten on 38 and Banks, who cracked Jaggernauth for three consecutive fours in one over, was on 14 when the match was called off after the second of the mandatory 15 overs in the last hour. Daren Ganga for his 265 was named “Man-of-the-Match”. The Leewards collected four points to remain in second place 56 points while Trinidad, who collected six for first innings points, remain third on 54.