BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, (CMC) – Danny Briggs offered England Lions a viable bowling option, with a memorable spell of bowling to put the visitors in control of a practice match against St. Kitts & Nevis yesterday. The 19-year-old left-arm spinner collected seven wickets for 38 runs from 18 overs, as St. Kitts & Nevis, choosing to bat, were dismissed for 135 in their first innings just before tea on the opening day of the two-day match at the Edgar Gilbert Sports Complex.
Opener Shane Jeffers, the discarded Leeward Islands opener, hit the top score of 53, and Steve Liburd, the St. Kitts & Nevis captain, supported with 26.
England Lions reached 83 for one at the close, with James Taylor not out on 39 and Craig Kieswetter not out on nine.
Jimmy Adams, who led Hampshire in the Caribbean Twenty20 Championship, fell just before the close, when he gave a return catch to Jacques Taylor. He made 31, and put on 66 for the first wicket with James Taylor.
Earlier, Jeffers struck four boundaries from 94 balls in close to 1 ¾ hours to lead the St. Kitts & Nevis batting.
He dominated an opening stand of 56 with Akeem Fox before Jade Dernbach bowled him to leave St. Kitts & Nevis in strife at 76 for four.
Liburd was then the main aggressor in a stand of 35 with Akeem Saunders before he was one of two wickets for Nathan Buck.
The home team then proceeded to lose their last six wickets for 24 runs, as Briggs bamboozled their batsmen with his clever bowling.
The match, which the Lions are using to prepare for the WICB Regional first-class championship, ends on Monday.
The Lions face Leeward Islands in their opening match of the competition, starting next Friday at Warner Park here.