… visitors hit back with three early wickets
In Barbados (Compliments of: Cellink, Wartsila Power Company, Lifetime Real Estate, Medicine Chest, Bryden and Fernandes and Carib Beer)
DESPITE two resilient innings from Royston and Esaun Crandon, the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) were still able to bowl out their visitors, Guyana, for 271, to which they replied with 24-3 at the end of the first day of their fourth round clash in the West Indies Cricket Board President’s Cup match at the 3Ws Oval, Cave Hill, Barbados yesterday.

Scores in the match so far; Guyana 271, CCC 24-3

Asked to take first strike in sultry conditions, Guyana were shakily placed on 49-3 after the first hour’s play, with skipper Sewnarine Chattergoon (12), Rajendra Chandrika (23) and Christopher Barnwell who replaced Narsingh Deonarine, 4 all back in the pavilion.

They recovered somewhat but were bowled out for 271 late in the afternoon, thanks to Royston’s 94 and Esaun’s unbeaten 48, but their bowlers returned to ensure they were kept in the game, reducing the home team to 24-3 at the close.

CCC, who were asked to bat 12 overs before the close of play, lost Omar Phillips (0) who offered wicketkeeper Derwin Christian a regulation catch off the final delivery of his team’s first over which was bowled by Esaun Crandon, without any run on the board.

Nikolai Parris (2) joined Kyle Corbin who had to survive some short and fiery stuff from West Indies ‘A’ team fast bowler Brandon Bess, but it was Parris who failed to do so, offering Christian a straightforward catch from a mistimed pull off Bess to leave CCC on 13-2 with five overs to go for the day.

Ryan Austin (0) replaced Parris, but he did not stick around to cause any trouble with the bat as he had done with the ball during the Guyana innings. He lost his off stump to Veerasammy Permaul who had replaced Esaun Crandon from the Southern End of the ground three runs later.

With the light fading fast, Devendra Bishoo was introduced at the Northern End and should have had the wicket of Kjorn Ottley whose outside edge went past Assad Fudadin at slip twice and at the close, CCC were 24-3 with Corbin on 12 and Ottley 5.

In the Guyana innings, Chandrika was the first to go, caught at cover point by Kjorn Ottley off Kevin McClean, but not before he had struck back-to-back boundaries off the same bowler, while Barnwell, who joined the team on Monday, was caught by Nikolai Parris at extra cover off a slower delivery from Khismar Catlin.

Back-to-back fours by Fudadin, who was in the pavilion when Catlin struck Chattergoon on his helmet off Jason Bennett, reassured things for Guyana until Chattergoon struck a low full toss to McClean at mid off on the stroke of the first hour, leaving Guyana on 49-3.

Royston Crandon joined Fudadin and they pushed the score to 97-3 at lunch, with both batsmen being unbeaten on 27 with three fours each, while Crandon also struck Kavesh Kantasingh for a six, as their fourth-wicket partnership was worth 48 runs at the end of the first session.

A Royston Crandon four off the second delivery of the first over after the luncheon interval brought up Guyana’s 100 and the pair’s 50-run partnership, but CCC got rid of Fudadin who was earlier given a life by Corbin at second slip off Bennett.

He had just struck Austin for a boundary, when his cut shot off the same bowler found the safe hands of Parris at point, bringing an end to a 58-run fourth-wicket partnership with Royston Crandon, with his contribution being 32 made off 70 deliveries with four fours from 130 minutes of batting.

Vishal Singh (1) quickly followed when he went down the wicket to Austin and struck the ball back to the bowler, leaving Guyana precariously placed on 118-5, with Royston Crandon who was joined by Derwin Christian 21 (3×4, 1×6) on 38.

The 26-year-old Royston Crandon continued to soldier on for Guyana, reaching his fifth half-century from 82 deliveries, with five fours and two sixes and even though he lost Christian, who was caught by Phillips off Catlin for 21, he saw Guyana to tea at 198-6, with his personal score reading 84.

As was the scenario after lunch when CCC got the wicket of Fudadin, they snapped up Royston Crandon who was joined by his elder brother Esaun prior to lunch, caught by McClean at mid on off Austin for a resilient 94 which included six fours and four sixes from 264 minutes batting in which he faced 151 deliveries.

Prior to Royston Crandon’s demise, he had witnessed Christian, with whom he had added 75 for the sixth wicket, hit Kantasingh for a six before he went for an injudicious shot off Catlin and picked out Phillips at second slip who held onto the overhead chance easily, to the delight of his teammates, 10 minutes before tea.

Veerasammy Permaul (8) joined Esaun Crandon but he did not hang around long enough to cause any problems for the University students, as he was caught by skipper Floyd Reifer at slip off McClean, who also took another off Devendra Bishoo from the second delivery he faced without scoring.

In strode the lanky Bess who joined his new-ball partner Esaun Crandon with Guyana on 239-9 and they pushed the score to 271 before Bess was run-out by Corbin’s direct hit from short backward square leg, leaving Esaun Crandon unbeaten on 48.

Catlin 3-47, McClean 3-61 and Austin who toiled away for 27 overs to end with 3-76, were the successful bowlers for CCC, who, having defeated their opponents the last time they met at the same venue, found them to be a different kettle of fish this time around.